Stronger Than Fate
by Mikan-citrus fruits
Summary: Hinamori Amu has a horrible past, leading her to a life of drugs and an eating disorder. But what happens when the guy who left her so many years ago comes back? AU. Amu and Nagihiko pairing.I'm horrible at descriptions. Humor/romance/hurt/comfort
1. Chapter 1

Okay! Here's another try at fanfiction writing. My last one failed miserably.  
I hope this one's better  
Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara or any other copyrighted material mentioned.

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Chapter 1

"_Mama, do you think everything happens for a reason?" _

"Damn it," I cursed under my breath, "that's the third one this week!" I threw the blue lighter onto the ground and reached into my pocket for a match. After striking it, I lit the small joint sticking out of my mouth, inhaling deeply and immediately relaxing. I sighed with relief.. Those snotty people I hung out with all day were getting on my nerves. They all think I'm perfect, nobody would guess that sweet little Hinamori Amu was an anorexic druggie. I laughed slightly at my thoughts. I guess I brought it upon myself though. After being teased in high school about my weight, I wanted to become skinny and popular in college, so I went on a new "diet". When I got to the new school, I had dropped from 160lbs. to 120, in only 2 months. I wanted to stop the diet and drugs since I was instantly popular. By then though, I was already addicted to drugs, and I couldn't stop starving myself. Now I was in my 3rd year of community college. I was taking music classes, hoping to become famous.

"Amu," A soft voice and a knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.

"What do you need?" I replied as sweetly as possible to my friend Tomoyo.

"I was just wondering if you had Yuki's number. I can't find it anywhere!"

"Yeah, hold on." I quickly cleared the smoke from my apartment and set the joint down, running towards the door. "It's in here," I handed her my cell and started to leave when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Amu, are you okay? Your eyes look strange…" She trailed off.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired." a breeze from the window in my apartment blew our way. Her eyes widened with understanding. Shit, she knows.

"Okay, I'll give your phone back in the morning. Get some rest." There was hurt in her voice. She turned and left. I honestly didn't care.

…

Suddenly I did care. I should have known Tomoyo wouldn't keep it a secret. Everybody was staring at me with judgmental eyes, secretly criticizing me.

"Here, your phone" Tomoyo dropped my small pink phone in front of me.

"Did you have to tell everyone?" I asked, trying not to scream.

"About what?" She asked obliviously. Was she trying to play some sick game with me?

"You know what."

"Oh. That. I didn't tell anyone, Amu." She was seriously pissing me off now.

"Then why is everyone staring at me." It was more of a statement than a question.

"I think your imagining it. And about that 'thing', can I talk to you about that later?" She sounded truly concerned.

"I guess. But please, keep it a secret for now."

"Okay, I will!" She said, back to her perky self. Somehow, I knew I would regret telling her.

The rest of the school day was uneventful, but as soon as I got home, that changed. Tomoyo was standing in my living room and my apartment was torn apart. My diary and every drug I had was laying on the table.

"T-Tomoyo," I gasped, "What is going on?"

"I decided to go through and find every drug you had. And I read your diary. I can't believe you starve yourself. Amu, why didn't you tell me? I could have helped." She confessed with pleading eyes.

"By the time I even met you it was too late. I was already addicted and my anorexia…" I trailed off.

"Why do you do this stuff?"

"Do I have to tell you?" she just nodded. I sighed and proceeded to tell her my whole story. Everything starting from leaving Seiyo Academy.. That was the worst choice ever. When I was done, she was speechless for a while, then she finally found the words she was looking for.

"Wow. I had no idea." She reached over and hugged me. "I'm so sorry Amu."

"It's okay" I cried into her arms, then pulled away, "Can you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Of course, I promise," She held her pinkie out to cross with mine like primary school students, but I felt happy and a little relieved.

"Have a good weekend!" I shouted as Tomoyo left. Somehow I felt like she was my first real friend.

-Sunday afternoon-

For some reason, I was a little scared to go home. There was something in my gut telling me to not go, but of course I ignored it, where else was I supposed to go?

Wrong move.

As soon as I stepped in the door, I wanted to melt and slip under the door. All of my 'friends' were somberly standing in my living room.

"W-what's going on?" I stuttered

"Amu," Tomoyo stepped forward, "This is an intervention. I told all of these people because we all care about you and we don't want to see you get hurt."

"TOMOYO," I shouted, "I TOLD YOU NOT TO TELL ANYONE!" I broke down in tears and several people came rushing forward. The voices were all blending, I couldn't see straight anymore.

"Amu, are you okay?" The closest person asked.

"No, NO, GET OFF ME" I screamed and jumped up, rushing out the door.  
I stayed in a business hotel for the night, trying to think of other places I could go. There was always Tadase's house, but that would be awkward since he told me he was gay then started dating Rima. Next choice was Rima's… but she's living with Tadase. Kukai and Utau were married and living in America now. Yaya was pregnant with Kairi's child. Ikuto was just too perverted, and his favorite target happened to be me. Who does that leave?

_Nagihiko… but he's gone…_

_

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_What do you think? Please review!  
Love ya people!


	2. Chapter 2

Oh my banana, this is a short chapter!  
So sad T.T  
I tried to stretch it, but it didn't work. It just sounded awkward, but the song makes it a little better, ne?  
Edit: It's not as short as I thought it was...  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. sadness  
On with the chapter!

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Chapter 2 

"_Did you know that when it rains, angels are crying for all the hurt in the world?"_

"I wish…" I whispered to myself. Nobody really knows what happened to Nagihiko. He just disappeared one day.  
Tears were welling up in my eyes as I thought of my last day with him.

"_Amu, what's wrong?" Nagihiko asked with a concerned face, "You look really down"_

"_It's nothing really, I just have a really bad feeling that something was going to happen today." He flinched_

"_What do you mean 'bad feeling'?" _

"_I have a tight squeezing feeling in my chest, and I really want to cry." The tears were already starting to spill over. _

"_I'm so sorry," He stretched his hand out for me to grab. I took hold of it and he pulled me up into his warm arms for a tight hug._

"_Amu, I'm leaving, I probably won't see you again." I gasped and collapsed into a fit of sobs, then, just like a breeze, he was gone. _

Tear stains were on my face when I woke up. That was the day I realized I was in love with him. I hadn't thought about it in a long time. I stretched as I left the hotel, it was late fall, but the air was still pretty warm. I was on my way to school and my apartment to tell them I was leaving. I couldn't stay there after all that happened and I couldn't go running back to Mom and Dad. I'm 20 already, I don't need them. But… Where was I supposed to go?! Maybe I should find somewhere else to live first. A job would be helpful too.

…

I groaned as I sat down on a park bench. I already got a job at a convenience store, but I didn't have much luck with apartment hunting. Almost every square in the newspaper had a big 'X' on it. There were only 3 places left, but it was 10:30 at night. It would be better to check them out in the morning. In the meantime, I had some things at my old apartment to get. It should be around 11 when I get there, so I should be okay. Let's see, I need a change of clothes, my 'stuff', and an apple. I didn't eat again today. Somehow I was a little proud, but sad. With that thought, I arrived at my apartment, slightly surprised that I got there so fast. I took a few deep breaths to prepare myself for the worst, and turned the doorknob. It looked the same as when I left. I set to work packing everything I needed, changing my clothes in the process. When I was done I dropped my keys in the rent collection box at the front office.

"I guess I'm staying in a business hotel again," I sighed. Tomorrow I have to find a place to live.  
But for now, I had to ease the silence outside and the screaming within. I stood up on a rock in front of the hotel I was staying in and began singing.

**Winter Sleep  
**Olivia Lufkin

_It keeps coming back to me  
I remember this pain  
Ir spreads across my eyes  
Everything is dull_

_Everyone's smiling, they're smiling  
It pushes me far far away  
I can't understand  
Everything is blue_

_Can you hear me out there?_

By now, a small crowd had formed, watching me sing my pain away.

_Will you hold me now...? Hold me now, My frozen heart  
I'm gazing from the distance and  
I feel everything pass through me  
I can't be alone right now  
Will you hold me now...? Hold me now, My frozen heart  
I'm lost in a deep winter sleep  
I can't seem to find my way out alone  
Can you wake me?_

A few tears slid down my face. Oh God, how I wished the pain would go away.

_I know when I let it in  
It hides love from this moment  
So I guard it close  
I watch the move it makes_

_But it gets me, but it gets me  
I wish I could understand how I  
Could make it disappear, make it disappear_

I wanted to drift away into nothingness. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't forget.

_Anyone out there hear me now?_

_Will you hold me now...? Hold me now, My frozen heart  
Kiss my lips and maybe you can take to your world for now  
I can't be alone right now  
Will you hold me now...? Hold me now, My frozen heart  
Please make it all go away  
Am I ever gonna feel myself again?  
I hope I will_

_Will you hold me now...? Hold me now, My frozen heart  
I'm gazing from the distance and  
I feel everything pass through me  
I can't be alone right now  
Will you hold me now...? Hold me now, My frozen heart  
I'm lost in a deep winter sleep  
I can't seem to find my way out alone  
Can you wake me?_

I stepped off the rock and walked into the hotel, taking cover from the rain that just started falling.

* * *

The youtube link for this song is on my profile. It's my favorite song from NANA.

Preview: "How do you know my…" My eyes widened as I got a good look at the person taking care of me.  
"Nagihiko…" I whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter took a LOT longer than I expected. it was all handwritten so I had to type out 15 pages. Then my damn internet went out until about an hour ago. And I changed my pen name. in case you didn't notice

Oh, the rating might go up to M for some "situations"

Keishin:OOH, what kind of situations?  
Mikan: KEISHIN!!!! -glomp- When did you get here?  
Keishin: umm, when you wrote me into the story.  
Mikan: Oh yeah... I forgot. Oh Oh! I shortened your name! You're now Kei-chan!!!  
Keishin: Uwah! Mikan!!! I told you not to do that!!!  
Mikan: I do not own shugo chara or any other copyrighted material mentioned.

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Chapter 3

_Everybody has someone made just for them, even if they're separated they'll come together again. It's a miracle meeting, stronger than fate._

I woke up in the same hotel as before, but this time I rushed out, hoping to find a place to live quickly. The first house for today was on the other side of town. Apparently an old woman needed company since her husband died. When I got there, somebody had already moved in. That was the case at the next three houses as well. It was almost 4 when I got to the last house for the day. There were a lot more to choose from, but I was suddenly feeling dizzy and weak. I wanted to vomit, but 1 more place shouldn't hurt, right? I knocked on the door, putting a smile on my face to mask my pain. Someone opened the door and gasped, but I couldn't really tell what they looked like, my vision was getting blurry.

"Hi, I'm looking for a place to live and…" My world went black as I hit the ground.

…

When I came to, I was surprised to see that I wasn't in the hospital. Most people would see a stranger pass out and call an ambulance.

"How are you feeling, Amu?" A man with long purple hair walked in the room and tossed me orange.

"How do you know my name?" My eyes widened as I got a good look at the person taking care of me. "Nagihiko…" I whispered as I started crying.

"How long has it been since you ate?" He asked worriedly.

"I… I don't know. Four or five days, I think." His eyes widened.

"Why? What's wrong?" He looked like he was about to cry as well.

"It's a long story." I muttered.

"This fell out of your pocket," he held out a small bag with a powdery white substance in it. "I doubt it's sugar. Please tell me what's going on."

"I guess I don't have a choice." I took a deep breath and told him everything that happened from the day he left to this morning. Nagihiko didn't interrupt me once. He just sat there with a blank expression, nodding a few times. When I finished he continued to stare off at nothing.

"N-Nagihiko, are you dead?" I asked half serious. He started to cry then leapt onto me, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

"Amu, please don't do that stuff anymore! I know how hard it is to quit, but I'll help you." He cried.

I just lay there in slight shock, not exactly sure what to do. My arms wrapped around Nagihiko, comforting him silently.

"Why are you crying about me, silly?" I asked, feeling more tears spring to my eyes.

"Because I missed you the most and when I finally get to see you again, you're worse off than I was!" I blushed _'He missed me the most?'_

"W-what do you mean?"

"I mean I missed you more than the others." His tears subsided as he realized I was okay.

"Nagi, I meant the _other _part." I laughed.

"Oh," he blushed, "I forgot that I didn't explain it to you.

"You mean you told everyone and not me? The person who l- never mind." I was about to say loved you unconditionally for eight years, but that's a little embarrassing.

"I-it's not like I didn't want to," he defended, "I really tried to call, but when I was finally able to call overseas, you had already moved. Nobody knew where you were, either." And the tears make a comeback. Geez, when did he get so emotional? It's almost womanly… My eyes widened at my sudden realization. "Nagihiko, did you have to be a girl again, by any chance?"

"Is it that obvious?" He whimpered.

"Yeah, I knew you as a guy for three years, you were a lot less… uh… teary then." I giggled and rolled my eyes.

"It's not like I had any choice," He mumbled. "But we changed the subject. What were we talking about?"

"Oh yeah. Can you tell me why you left for 8 years and what happened? I already told you most of my story."

"Alright, but you have to tell me the rest of yours later, okay?" He winked and my heart fluttered. It finally sunk in, sitting right in front of me and holding my hand, was the person I longed to see the most for so many years. I'm so overjoyed, I could just… just…

"Whoa, Amu-chan, why are you crying?" I touched my face and laughed inwardly. "No reason. I'll tell you the rest of my story when you're done."

"Okay, I guess I'll start. I moved to Brazil to learn Brazilian dance, my mother's idea. We lived there for four years, until we moved to Canada for a job offer. Mom and I taught a class in Alberta. It was actually fun, but about two years after I moved to Canada, I got really depressed and I could only think of one thing to do," at this he pulled his sleeves and showed me his wrists which were covered in scars. "I started cutting myself to ease the pain. After that, I went a little crazy; drinking, smoking, and partying. It didn't get rid of the pain, so one night about a year ago, I overdosed on bunch of pills and alcohol, hoping to kill myself." I gasped. Nagihiko was never one to go to such drastic measures, unless he really had to.

"How are you still alive?" I asked.

"Well, I threw up and Mom found me passed out, then called an ambulance. They pumped my stomach and I had to stay in the hospital for a month, then Mom let me go back to Japan."

"Then how long have you been here?"

"About five months."

"Five Months!" I shouted, "have you even tried to contact me?"

"Yes, I did. Actually, I moved to this place because I heard that you went to school close by."

"Who'd you here it from?" Most of my old friends don't really keep track of me.

"I went to one of Utau's CD signings and she told me which school you went to."

"oh, I forgot I told her."

That reminds me, why don't you talk to anyone anymore?"

"Tadase rejected me and told me he was gay, then started dating Rima, so it's a little awkward there. Kukai and Utau are busy being famous and traveling, so I can rarely reach them. I haven't trusted Ikuto since that time he tried to rape me, and I still talk to Yaya and Kairi." I explained.

"Oh my god! Ikuto finally tried to rape you? And Yaya said she doesn't know where you live or your number."

"She doesn't . And what do you men by finally?"

"We all knew he was eventually going to rape you. Why doesn't Yaya know?"

"You should have warned me. That stupid pervert scarred me for life. I always go to visit Yaya, so she's never been to my apartment and I just got a cell. Like, last week." I pulled out my phone to show him and noticed it was off. "I should turn that on." I mumbled as I pushed a button on the side and slid the screen up, revealing the keyboard. "Holy shit! 133 messages?!" I shouted.

"When was the last time you turned it on?" Nagihiko asked, obviously amused.

"two days ago…" I muttered, looking through the texts. All of them were from Tomoyo. When I finished going through texts, I listened to the voicemails, also from Tomoyo. The only one I really paid attention to was the last one.

"_Fine, if your not going to accept my apology, I'm going to get Kei-chan to help me track you down so I can force you to accept. Goodbye." _

"So who's phone stalking you?" Nagihiko asked with a chuckle.

"Tomoyo, the girl who told everyone about my problem. Apparently she's going to get 'Kei-chan to help her find me." I rolled my eyes.

"Amu, what's Tomoyo's last name?" He asked.

"Reika. Why?"

"She's my roommate's best friend."

"What? Then that means-" I was cut off as someone glomped me.

"Amuuuuuu! I was so worried," Tomoyo cried, " I thought you tried to kill yourself again!" Nagihiko raised an eyebrow and I mouthed the words 'I'll tell you later'

"Well that didn't take long." A tall goofy looking guy said from the doorway. He was wearing a brown shirt that said 'life is good' and jeans. He also had thick glasses and black hi-top converse. I had an odd urge to hug him though.

"You must be 'Kei-chan'" I stated as I attempted to push Tomoyo off of me. Keyword there is attempted, Tomoyo seemed to be made of glue.

"Yes, my name is Kei Ebata. Nice to meet you. Hinamori-san. Tomoyo, get off the poor girl." Tomoyo climbed off me and muttered random incomprehensible words to herself.

"Thanks Kei-kun. And Amu's fine." I turned to Tomoyo, "why are you trying to apologize. I don't want to talk to back-stabbing bitch like you." I said to her, venom dripping from every word. All three of them looked surprised at my anger.

"Amu, I'm seriously sorry. I was just worried about you. I told them because you're my best friend and I desperately want to help you." Her tears were spilling over. I could see that she really does care about me.

"Alright, I guess I can forgive you. But please never do something like that again."

"Okay! Then Amu and I will start moving in tonight!" Tomoyo shouted.

"What?" Nagihiko, Kei, and I exclaimed in unison.

"Well, Amu was going to move in here and I don't want to leave her side. So I'm moving in."

"But Tomoyo-chan, we only have three rooms." Nagihiko pointed out.

"That's alright. I'll live with Kei-chan!" She clung to his arm like a barnacle on a rock.

"Shouldn't you go with Amu, Tomo-chan?" Kei pointed out

"Why? You've been my best friend since we were babies! We even bathed together."

"We stopped doing that when we were eight! Now we're adult and well…"

"What he's _trying_ to say is 'I don't want to be blamed when I do something dirty to you while you sleep'" Nagihiko teased.

"Nagi!" I elbowed him, "we should stay in the same room Tomoyo." I leaned in towards Tomoyo "I think Nagi has a point." I whispered.

"Then why did you elbow me?" Nagihiko whined.

"I wanted to."

"Amu, you're so mean!" he pretended to cry.

"So now _I'm_ the mean one? How rude."

"Ahem," Kei cleared his throat, "hate to break up this little love fest, but shouldn't we start moving your stuff in?" I blushed ten shades of red, but somehow managed to respond.

"Y-yeah" was my genius reply.

We drove to Tomoyo's apartment and picked up most of her things, stopping for dinner on the way home. When we finished with Tomoyo's luggage, I helped her unpack everything and laid down on our bed. We had to share one for now, but it was king sized with silky midnight blue sheets, blankets, and pillows.

"Night Tomoyo." I yawned.

"Goodnight, Amu. I'll be in after my shower. Soon after she left, I fell into a deep slumber, finally relaxed.

* * *

Mikan: So what'd you think?  
Keishin: I like it! But you make me sound like a pervert!  
Mikan: Well you are.  
Keishin: No I'm not!  
Suu: -pops out of nowhere- yes you are desu. Why aren't we in the fanfiction?  
Mikan: You will be... possibly. I'm not sure yet... hehe...  
Miki: Always indecisive.  
Mikan: Don't blame me... Now press the button, my faithful readers! What button you ask? The review one! or else! -head bursts into flames-


	4. Chapter 4

This is the longest chapter I've ever made in the history of ever. It also took me longer than I thought, but I had double counseling and a meeting with my consultant/teacher.

Mikan:Man, I'm tired! I think I'm gonna explode!  
Keishin: That's not good. Do I get to see you explode?  
Mikan:No you idiot.  
Keishin: Darn. That sucks.  
Ikuto: Yeah. I like watching things explode.  
Mikan: Ikuto!!!!! -tries to glomp Ikuto-  
Ikuto: Oh shi* -runs away-  
Mikan: Come back here kitty boy!  
Keishin: -sweatdrops- she never changes. Mikan does not own shugo chara or any other copyrighted material mentioned.

* * *

Chapter 4

"_Love is an attempt to change a piece of a dream-world into reality." -Henry David Thoreau_

(Amu's POV)

"_Amu-chi! Hurry up! We've been waiting for you!" A childish voice shouted. I stood from my laying position and examined my surroundings. I appeared to be in the middle of a field of daisies. _

"_Come on Amu! What're you doing just standing there?" Kukai called. I whirled around and saw all the guardians sitting in the circle. _

"_What are all of you doing here?" I asked, amazed to see all of my friends in one place again._

"_What do you mean? It's you're birthday, Amu-chan. Of course we would be here." This time it was Tadase who spoke. For some reason, I wasn't angry at him anymore. _

"_Amu," A small hand tugged at the back of my shirt, "We really missed you we've been worried." Rima was tearing up a little, so I bent down and hugged my old best friend. _

"_I'm alright now. I'm going to stop ruining my life and my body." I mumbled as I stroked her hair. Out of nowhere, a colorful bright light enveloped all of us. When it went away, we were all dazzling. Kairi, Kukai, and Tadase were all in white tuxedos. Yaya and Rima were wearing white spaghetti-strap dresses that looked like nightgowns. They were all standing in a circle around Nagihiko and me. Nagihiko was also wearing a white tuxedo, but he had a pink tie around his neck. My dress was also white, but it was strapless and it flowed out at the waist. There was a purple belt around my waist which was tied in a bow at the back. _

_Nagihiko stretched his hand out for me and bowed. I slowly reached out and put my hand in his. Rima walked up and placed a crown of daises on my head. Nagihiko put one hand on the small of my back and moved one of mine to his shoulder. Silently, we began waltzing and the scenery changed. We were suddenly in a ballroom with hundreds of other people. I felt like royalty. The music stopped as well as the dancing. Nagihiko pulled me in a little closer and kissed my forehead. He opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was an obnoxious beeping noise._

"Amu! You're alarms been going off for fifteen minutes!" Tomoyo yelled and threw a pillow at me.

"So it was waltzing this time." I mumbled.

"What was ballroom dancing?" Nagihiko, who was suddenly in the doorway, asked.

"NOTHING," I shouted, "It was nothing." I said softly this time. Nagihiko and Tomoyo both raised their eyebrows.

"Sure. Whatever you say," Tomoyo said sarcastically.

"You guys get out. I need to get ready for work." I pointed towards the door. Nagihiko obeyed, but Tomoyo shut the door.

"Amu. Explain. Now." She glared at Amu like she would shoot her if she didn't tell.

"Alright," I started changing while I spoke. "Ever since we moved in here a week ago I've been having weird dreams about my old friends. It always ends with me doing some kind of dance with Nagihiko." I explained.

"Every night?"

"No. It's only happened 4 times."

"Do you like Nagihiko-kun?" Tomoyo asked out of nowhere.

"Yes. I've been in love with him for eight years." I sighed. _'It feels good to get this out. I never told anyone except Utau.' _

"I thought so. You blush a lot around him and the look in your eyes… well you look in love."

"Really? Do you think he likes me?" I asked shyly.

"That's a se-cr-et." Tomoyo winked.

"Aw, that's Mean Tomoyo!" I whined.

"I know. But, I want to help get you two together. So I'll try to set up chances for you." I perked up and hugged Tomoyo.

"Thanks Tomoyo! And I'll help you with Kei-kun." She blushed.

"H-how did you know?"

"You cling to him all the time and I caught you staring at him a few times with a stupid grin on your face."

"Shut up. At least I'm not a scent pervert."

"What do you mean scent pervert!?" I shouted.

"I caught you sniffing Nagihiko-kun's laundry."

"I did not!"

"Did too! Amu's a pervert! Amu's a pervert!" I tackled her as she continued singing. We were rolling on the floor laughing (A/n: ROFL!) while Tomoyo tried to keep singing her song when the door opened. The boys stood there staring at us with red faces. I looked

at myself, then her and stiffened. I was shirtless and my bra was unhooked I the back. One of Tomoyo's hand was behind my neck and the other was up my skirt and on my thigh.

"What's going on here and why wasn't I invited?" Kei asked

"Black lace, Amu-chan? Nice choice." Nagihiko gave me a thumbs up. A blush covered my face all the way to my ears.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you heard of knocking?" Tomoyo and I straightened up and I pulled a blanket abound myself.

"We heard shouts and thumping coming from this room and we both thought Amu-chan was being robbed or something. And I did knock, but nobody answered. I didn't know you guys were like that…" Kei revealed. Both guys looked disappointed.

"We're not! I was in the middle of changing and Tomoyo started singing weird things so I tackled her but she wouldn't shut up and we kind of ended up in some weird wrestling match." I hurriedly explained.

"What was the weird song?" Nagihiko asked. Tomoyo took a deep breath.

"Don't you dare," I growled.

"Amu's a pervert! Amu's a pervert! Amu's a pervert!" She sang.

"Tomo-chan, I don't think that counts as a song." Kei commented.

"So (haha) Amu-chan's a (haha) pervert(haha)? Please explain." Nagihiko said between bursts of laughter.

"Well, I walked into the laundry room a couple days ago and saw-" She was cut off as I tackled her to the ground.

"Shut up" I hissed.

"But it's fun." She whispered. "Anyway, I saw Amu-" She was cut off again as I pressed my lips to hers. I really didn't want to do that, but I couldn't think of anything else. There was a loud thump as we pulled away and I saw Kei passed out with a nosebleed.

"Amu, I thought we were going to save that for later." Tomoyo wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned close to my ear. "Lets see what they do," She whispered. I giggled at the thought of this weird game. There was another thump as Nagihiko joined Kei on the floor. We both cracked up.

"Amu, I hope you know that when the blanket fell off, you're bra went with it." I looked down and screamed.

"You could have told me before!" I shouted.

"I know, but at least we know what they think about us."

"No, we just know that they like girl on girl. Oh my god, they think we're together."

"When they wake up, I'll explain. Don't you have work or something?"

"Yeah." I looked at my watch "But I'm an hour late, so I'll call in sick today."

"okay. It sucks that you have to work on Saturdays. We don't get to hang out much." Tomoyo commented.

"At least I have Sunday off." I finished putting my clothes on and reached for my phone. "I'll be back to help you drag these idiots to their rooms when I'm done."

I came back a few minutes later and saw Tomoyo playing with Kei's hair.

"Aw, how cute." I said from the doorway.

"Shut up." She grumbled. I walked up close to Nagihiko and sat down next to him.

"But you know, I'm a little envious of you." I leaned closer to Nagihiko and whispered "I'm glad you're finally back." I started crying a little.

"Why are you envious?" Tomoyo asked softly.

"Because you didn't have to spend eight years without the person you love. And you cling to him like a sock. I'm not brave enough to do anything like that. To tell you the truth, I'm not brave at all. I'm actually scared of facing reality. That's why I do- did- drugs, to run away from the world." I sighed. Since when was I so open with people? I must be going through major withdrawals. It's been four days since I've done any form of drug. No snorting, no puffing, no injecting (never did that in the first place- pointy objects scare me). I guess I was just falling into a dark pit, and I desperately wanted somebody to catch me.

"Amu, if you want to cling to Nagihiko-kun, you can. Just try it. It's really fun!" She giggled.

"But it's embarrassing and out of my character." I unconsciously picked Nagihiko's head and placed it in my lap then stroking his hair.

"You mean the 'cool and spicy' one? We all know it's fake. Just drop it."

"Aw, that's mean Tomo-chan~. Let her be 'cool and spicy' it's fun trying to crack her." Kei whined childishly.

"Kei!" Tomoyo and I shouted in unison.

"When did you wake up?" Tomoyo asked. Kei looked as if he was in deep thought for a minute when he finally spoke.

"Somewhere around 'cling to him like a sock'"

"Y-you didn't hear anything before that, right?"

"Nope. But I heard enough to know who Amu's in love with. I was right." He got an evil glint in his eye.

"Please don't tell him! Or maybe you should. No! Don't! Uwah! So confusing!"

"What's so confusing?" Nagihiko asked. I jumped in surprise.

"Gah! Nothing! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, Amu-chan. Oh, I see you finally decided to put some clothes on."

"Shut up, pervert," I mumbled.

"It's you're fault. And I thought you were the pervert, right Tomoyo-chan"

"Right!"

"Well, who's the one with their head in my lap. Oh, that's right, it's Mr. 'black lace, nice choice'" I smirked.

"Who's the one who put it there? Ms. Fingers in my hair."

"Hey, Kei-chan, do you think we should give them some privacy? It's awkward to have a lovers quarrel in front of other people." Tomoyo whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear. (A/n: Is that even possible? Haha)

"Shh, you're interrupting. I wanna watch them." Kei 'whispered' back.

"Would you guys shut up?" I growled. My face was a fierce red.

"Someone's grumpy" Tomoyo mumbled.

"Yes someone is. I should be after getting almost-raped by my best friend." Tomoyo's eyes softened.

"Aw, I'm your best friend? That's so sweet Amu" She jumped over Kei and gave me a bear hug.

"You know, I'm still here." Nagihiko's voice was muffled.

"Oh, right." Tomoyo pulled back.

"Since when am I not you're best friend Amu-chan?" Nagihiko looked at me with puppy dog eyes.

"You're my best guy friend and Tomoyo's my best girl friend." I answered. I jumped as my phone started vibrating in my pocket. I pushed Nagihiko's head off my lap and grabbed my phone.

"That's cold Amu-chan," Nagihiko said with fake tears in his eyes.

"Bite me" Was my reply. I flipped my phone up and put it to my ear. "Hello," I said, my voice took on a business-like tone.

"_Hi Amu, It's me, Utau. I just called because I got this strange feeling that you were cheating on me." _

"No, I'm not cheating on you, Utau. We've been through this many times, I can have more than one girlfriend. Ouch!" I yelped, "Nagihiko, why the hell did you just bite me?!"

"Because you said bite me." He said with a shrug.

"_Amu! You're cheating on me with guys and girls?! But you said forever! Amu, don't do this to me!"_

"Utau, honey, listen. I never said I was breaking up with you. When I said forever, I meant it. But sometimes a girl needs more than one best friend. It's too hard to choose."

"_Alright, but I'm coming to visit you next month. I have a week off so I have to come see you and, unfortunately, my brother. But I gotta go now. Bye-bye! Love ya!"_

"Alright! Love ya too!" I hung up and looked at my friends. They were staring at me with odd expressions. "What?" I shot at them

"You guys made it sound weird." Tomoyo said. Nagihiko and Kei nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I accidentally put it on speaker phone again, didn't I?" They nodded again. My phone started vibrating again. This time it was an unknown number. I flipped it open, making sure the speaker phone wasn't on this time.

"Hello?" I asked, unsure.

"_Amu, I want to be you're best friend again. Can you forgive me?"_

"Yeah I was never mad at you, but why does everyone want to be my best friend suddenly?"

"_I just felt bad. I also felt like I was being replaced. It's not Nagihiko again, is it?" _

"I heard that!" Nagihiko shouted.

"_Shut up, cross dresser! Amu, what are you doing with _him_?"_

"Well, I kind of live with him now." Nagihiko had gone off to grow mushrooms in a corner after being called a cross dresser.

"_YOU WHAT?!" _I had to pull the phone away from my ear. _"That's it, I'm dragging you out of there! I'll be there in an hour!" _I heard the dial tone.

"Nagi, I suggest you run. Rima's going to be here in an hour."

"Why should I run? It's my house."

"You have a point, but I'm just afraid she'll bring along an assassination team. She's always hated you."

"I thought that was because she was in love with you."

"Yeah, but she still hates you."

"Haha, a girl was in love with Amu-chan."

"Butt out, Kei-kun"

"Sorry, geez. Didn't know it was such a sore subject."

"It is. After she confessed to me, I almost lost her friendship. Anyway, I'm going to eat an apple and wait for her at the door." I walked out and headed for the kitchen. _'maybe I'll have an English muffin too…' _

(About an hour later)

There was pounding at the door and Rima's voice could probably be heard in London.

"Amu! Open the door, I know you're in there!" She shouted. I ran over and opened the door for her and Tadase. She stopped moving and both their jaws literally dropped.

"Amu," Rima whispered, "What happened to you?"

"Short version or long? Short. I'm not on the mood to cry right now. And you know most of it." I walked out and closed the door behind me.

"Hinamori-san, are you okay?" Tadase asked. I shook my head and chuckled darkly.

"I wish I was. So, basically the story goes, I'm in love with Nagihiko and when he left I got depressed to the point that I stayed in most of the time eating ice-cream and chocolates. That's how I got fat. But when I was sick of the bullying, I went on a 'diet' and starved myself. Well, at first it was bingeing and purging, but then it turned into starving. To deal with the pain I started doing drugs. My best friend Tomoyo told the whole school about it for an 'intervention' so I ran away. I was looking for a place to live and this place," I stuck my thumb out towards the house, "had an AD in the newspaper because they had an extra room. I passed out on the doorstep and Nagihiko took care of me so now I live here with Nagihiko, Tomoyo, and Kei-kun." I finished, out of breath.

"Wow." Was their epic response.

"What's with the lip ring?" Rima asked.

"This? I got it a couple weeks ago because I was bored."

"Isn't it hard to kiss with it on?"

"I haven't- wait, I did today, so no. I didn't even notice it." Rima's eyes widened.

"Are you and Nagihiko going out?"

"No."

"But didn't you just say you kissed him?"

"No, I said I kissed someone."

"Then who did you kiss?"

"Tomoyo," I mumbled.

"Oh. Isn't that a girls name?"

"Yeah, she's a girl."

"You're bi?!" Tadase shouted

"NO!" I shouted back. "Oh, look, did I mention I had a bellybutton ring?" I lifted my shirt and noticed it wasn't in. "Oh, I forgot to put it in this morning." I mumbled. "You guys come in for a sec I need to go put a ring in."

"Alright." Rima replied. We walked inside, my shirt still pulled halfway up.

"Amu-chan, how much skin are you planning to show today. After this morning, it almost feels like you're trying to seduce me and Kei." Nagihiko commented as I walked by, making me freeze.

"What do you mean after this morning?" Rima asked, worry apparent in her voice.

"Can I tell them?" Nagihiko asked.

"Sure, do whatever. Have you seen my pink bellybutton ring with the spikes on the end?"

"Yeah, you were wearing it this morning. I guess it fell out when you and Tomoyo-chan were… bonding." He blushed at the memory of it.

I walked off to the room I shared with Tomoyo and started looking in the bedding. When I didn't find it there, I searched the floor on my hand and knees. After five minutes of vigorous searching, I didn't find it. I heard the door swing open behind me.

"Hey Amu, did you-" Tadase cut off mid-sentence.

"Amu-chan, If you want to bend down like that, I suggest wearing longer skirts. Unless you want to be raped again." Nagihiko stated flatly.

"Hey, I was only half raped." I stood up and faced them.

"Twice, so that makes a full rape."

"This morning didn't count. You can't rape the willing." four jaws dropped. Kei and Tomoyo had decided to join in on the conversation. Tomoyo came up to me and wrapped her hands around my waist from behind.

"Oh, I see. You're willing to be with _her _but not me?!" Rima cried.

"No, we were just teasing the boys." I smirked.

"Really?" Nagihiko asked, smirking back. This wasn't going to end well.

"Okay, we're leaving now, Tadase." Rima pulled him away.

"Aww, but I always wanted to film bedroom ero." Tadase whined in the distance. Tomoyo let go and ran behind Kei.

"Really, we were teasing you. Your faces were priceless."

"That's mean. But I'll get you back."

"Alright. This is war. What are the rules?"

"There are none. We just have to make each other uncomfortable. It ends one week from today, at six p.m."

"Got it. You are so going to lose."

"You wish"

"Kei-chaaan! They're scary!" Tomoyo cried, clinging to his arm again.

This was going to be interesting.

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I wrote most of this while I was pumped full of caffiene and cake, sorry for the randomness. Lol.  
Please R&R

Reviews inspire me to write more.


	5. Chapter 5

Yo! Sorry for the late update! I wrote most of this chapter on the bus, while I was sick. I also managed to get on the wrong bus and get lost for 4 1/2 hours. I'm an idiot T.T

Disclaimer: I do not own shugo chara! or shugo chara!! Doki! If I did, Nagi would've confessed to Amu a long time ago.

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CHAPTER 5

_All's fair in love and war._

"Nagi!" A bouncy pink haired girl ran up to Nagihiko and wrapped herself around him. Her hands were locked together behind his neck and her legs were around his waist. He put his hands on her hips out of instinct.

"A-A-Amu-chan! What are you doing?!" Nagihiko screeched.

"What do you think?" She said in a childish voice. Her face was nuzzled in his neck and her breath was hitting a sensitive spot. _'Best bet ever. His smell is so… intoxicating. Oh, gawd, I am a smell pervert'_ Amu thought.

**(Nagihiko's POV)**

'_Does this girl even know what she's doing to me? Her breath is tickling my neck. Remember, it's only a game. only a-' _My thoughts were interrupted when I felt teeth on my neck. I swear I felt my soul leave my body. I took a deep, shaky breath and tried speaking. "A-alright Amu-chan. Y-you w-w-win this r-round. C-can you get off me?" I slapped myself internally for stuttering as she climbed off.

"Yes!" She pumped her arm and skipped off. The score was now Amu:3 Me:2 and it was only the beginning of the second day. I'm going to need a cold shower if she keeps this up. Suddenly she was running out of her room screaming at the top of her lungs.

"NAGIIIII!!!" She screamed as she jumped on me. We both tumbled backwards onto the floor.

"Ouch, Amu-chan, What's wrong?" She looked at me with a huge smile on her face, making my heart skip a beat.

"Nothing's wrong! Miki's bringing my guitar! The repairs are done!" She squeezed me tightly.

"You're really good at confusing people. Do you do it on purpose?"

"No, sorry. I took up guitar about a month after you moved and fell in love with it. It gave me something to do with my hands while I was singing."

"Who's Miki?"

"Miki's a girl I met in high school. We have an all girls band called Amulet Chara. I'm lead vocalist and guitarist. Miki's on drums, Ran's on bass, and Dia's back up vocals. Suu is our manager, kind of. She books gigs for us and gets us anything we need. We haven't practiced in a month." I gawked at her. I had no idea she would take her singing this far. I remember when we were young she sang to me almost every day and told me her dream was to become a singer.

"That's pretty good. Do you write your own songs?"

"Yeah. I'll sing one for you when Miki gets here."

"What kind of guitar is it?"

"Lauren LA125 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar- Vintage Sunburst." (A/N: I do not own!)

"That's a mouthful. How do you remember all that stuff?"

"It's my baby. Of course I remember everything about him. I love my Mitsu!" I felt a pang of jealousy. _'Why am I getting all jealous over a guitar? Real mature Nagi. Wait, when did I start calling myself Nagi?!'_

"Mitsu?" I asked, before I hurt my brain even more.

"Short for Himitsu. I named him Himitsu (A/n: Himitsu means secret) because I pour all of my feelings and secrets out in my music, and my guitar hears all of them and keeps them safe for me. I think he knows more about me than anybody else."

"Aw, Amu's holding out on us." I looked past Amu and saw a tall woman with blue hair falling out of a blue beret standing next to a shorter woman with golden locks cascading over her shoulders. The blue haired one was holding guitar, so I guessed she was Miki.

"I think we're interrupting something desu." The blonde said in a squeaky voice. I wondered what she meant. That is, until I remembered that I was on the floor with Amu on top of me. I turned beet red.

"A-Amu-chan, I think you should get off now." She smirked and rolled off.

"Amu: four, Nagi: two." She whispered in my ear. My jaw hung open. _'She was planning that the whole time.' _

**(Amu's POV)**

"Amu: Four, Nagi: Two." I whispered to Nagihiko. I honestly didn't mean for that to happen, but when life gives me lemons, I make lemonade. I ran towards Miki and Suu, arms outstretched. Miki obviously thought I was aiming to give her a hug because she stretched her arms out. Instead, I lunged for my guitar.

"Mitsu!!!" I shrieked, hugging my guitar close and examining it. "I missed you, baby." I whispered.

"Amu-Chan's getting lovey-dovey with her guitar again desu." I heard Suu say nervously.

"Don't worry, she's not drunk this time so she won't make out with it again." She replied, holding back laughter.

"Um…" Nagihiko said (noised?) from the other side of the room.

"Forgot you were there. I'm Miki. The chick over there is my girlfriend, Suu." Suu gave a small wave. "A couple months ago, we won a competition and partied to celebrate. Amu turns into the kissing monster when she gets drunk and the nearest thing was… Himitsu. It was really funny, so I recorded it on my phone, wanna see?"

"MIKI, NO!" I shouted. He was absolutely the last person I wanted to see it.

"Why not?" She pouted.

"Let's see, clothes- or lack of- and the fact that I'm MAKING OUT WITH A FREAKIN' GUITAR!"

"Fine, I won't show him. Hey, we've gotta go, So see ya later, Amu…"

"Nagihiko"

"See ya Nagihiko-kun." Miki waved two fingers at him and walked over to me.

"You guys make a good match. Good luck." She winked and walked over to Suu, taking her hand.

"Bye desu! Eat well!" She shouted before leaving.

"They're nice people. You didn't mention you had lesbian friends." Nagihiko commented.

"You didn't ask. Everybody in my band is, except me. Does it really matter?"

"No, just thinking that birds of a feather flock together."

"That thing with Tomoyo yesterday was just PLAYING. And trying to get her to shut up."

"I wasn't talking about that. Miki-san whispered something and you blushed. What did she say." My face turned brick red and I froze.

"N-nothing! It was about one of my songs." I defended.

"Hmm, did I just _embarrass _someone?" He teased.

"Fine, You're up to three." I muttered, then remembered my promise to him. "Come here." I grabbed his hand with one of my own, and my guitar with the other, and headed to the backyard. The backyard was huge. There was about a yard of grass, but it stopped at a large garden with a koi pond in back. To the left there was a large sakura tree with a swing hanging from one of the lower branches. To the right was a path of stepping stones leading up to a large white gazebo. I pondered for a moment and decided to play under the tree. I sat on the swing while Nagihiko leaned against the broad trunk.

"What song are you going to play?" He asked.

"When you're gone. I wrote in in my second year of middle school." We both went silent as I strummed different chords on my guitar and tuned it. I hummed a little to warm up then began singing and immediately thought about the weeks before I wrote this.

**When You're Gone (Acoustic) **(Do Not own! Link on my profile. Italics means flashback)

**Avril Lavigne **

**always needed time on my own**

**I never thought I'd need you there when I cry**

**And the days feel like years when I'm alone**

**And the bed where you lie is made up on your side**

_Nagihiko's bed was still made up, the same way it had been for years, while the muscular men moved it out of the house to make way for the new residents. _

**When you walk away I count the steps that you take**

**Do you see how much I need you right now**

_I didn't ever see him leave but I remember the last words he said to me 'Amu, I'm leaving, I probably won't see you again.' They rang through my head like a ghost haunting me. It hurt too much. I wanted to hug him and cry into his shirt again._

**[Chorus]**

**When you're gone**

**The pieces of my heart are missing you**

**When you're gone**

**The face I came to know is missing too**

**When you're gone**

**The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok**

**I miss you**

_I could hardly get out of bed at that point. My other friends tried to cheer me up, but it didn't help. It hurt too much._

**I've never felt this way before**

**Everything that I do reminds me of you**

**And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor**

**And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do**

_Mom made me clean out the tree house we used to hang out in. He left a sweatshirt on the floor there. I sat up there for at least an hour sobbing with that thing pressed up to my nose. It smelled just like Nagihiko._

**When you walk away I count the steps that you take**

**Do you see how much I need you right now**

**When you're gone**

**The pieces of my heart are missing you**

**When you're gone**

**The face I came to know is missing too**

**When you're gone**

**The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok**

**I miss you**

**We were made for each other**

**Out here forever**

**I know we were, yeah**

**All I ever wanted was for you to know**

**Everything I'd do, I'd give my heart and soul**

**I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me, yeah**

_My diary was filled with things I wanted to tell you. 'I love you' 'I miss you' 'I can't live without you' 'It has to be you, only you'_

**When you're gone**

**The pieces of my heart are missing you**

**When you're gone**

**The face I came to know is missing too**

**When you're gone**

**The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok**

**I miss you **

I finished the song and looked at him. I could tell I was crying. I've never been able to sing this song without at least a few tears escaping.

"Wow. I really missed listening to you sing every day. Was that song about…" He trailed off and pointed at himself. I nodded my head and propped Himitsu up against the tree.

"Sit down." I commanded and he obeyed. I lay down in the grass and set my head in his lap. He put a his hands on my head and stroked my hair. I closed my eyes and reminisced about countless times we did this. "I was devastated when you left. It felt like everything disappeared and I was alone in a dark void." I opened my eyes too look at his face. "You were my best friend and my partner in crime since nursery school." I closed my eyes again and giggled. "Remember that time in third grade when we broke the vase playing basketball in the house?" I opened my eyes once more and he looked puzzled. "We ran away to our tree because our parents were going to flip when they found out. We sat under it just like this and you jumped up and yelled 'I know! Let's run away and get married! Then aunty and mom won't be mad at us anymore!' I agreed, but our mom's found us lost in the city." He chuckled.

"I remember. You're bad sense of direction got us lost." I lightly hit his forehead.

"You're the one who was tricking a gullible little girl into running away and marrying you in third grade."

"Well, you're the one who followed a dog."

"Well… well… you're a meanie cross dresser."

"Would a 'meanie cross dresser' do this?" He pulled me up and into a hug. When he pulled away, there was a plastic ring with half a pink heart on my pinkie finger. Nagihiko held his pinkie up. He had the same ring, but it was purple. "It's a promise ring. We won't leave each other ever again." I smiled widely.

"Thanks Nagihiko!" I squeezed him tight and tried to hide my blush.

"N-no problem. We should go inside. It's getting cold." He was right. I was shivering a little despite his warm grip. We got up and went inside, hearing giggles from Tomoyo and Kei.

"You were spying on us, weren't you." I stated rather than asked.

"Yeah, but that's not it." Tomoyo replied. I was more scared than ever before in my life. She was plotting something, and it was going to be bad. I shrugged it off for now and went to make my dinner: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a salad.

"Hey, let's all play a game after dinner!" Kei suggested when we all sat down to eat. We all agreed to it thinking it would be a safe board game, or a video game. WRONG! Apparently Kei and Tomoyo had been planning to play truth or dare.

"Alright, I have four straws here. To start off, whoever gets the longest has to ask the person with the shortest. After that, the last one who got picked on asks whoever they want. The only rule is clothes stay on. And any embarrassment caused in the game does not count towards your bet. " Tomoyo explained. We each picked a straw. I got the short one and Kei got the long one.

"Truth" I said before he could even ask.

"What is your most embarrassing secret?" He asked.

"I-I ate erasers in fourth grade." Tomoyo and Kei started laughing at me hysterically.

"Why aren't you laughing Nagihiko?" Kei asked.

"I already knew that. I caught her one day in class."

"Stupid childhood friends," Tomoyo grumbled. "Okay! Amu's turn!"

"Kei, Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to stick you're fingers in your nose and sing 'twinkle twinkle little star'" He did as told. The innocence went on for the next fifteen minutes or so, but Tomoyo just _had _to ruin it when Nagihiko chose dare.

"I dare you to kiss Amu" She smirked.

"Okay." He leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"No you idiot, on the lips!" Tomoyo shouted.

"Come on, it's not going to hurt anything" Kei urged. We looked at each other, blushing furiously. He leaned down and his lips brushed across mine briefly, then came back down harder. I melted like butter as our lips moved together and it was the most intense feeling I've ever had. It wasn't my first kiss, but it's the first one that feels this great. It was like standing outside in a warm spring rain. I felt his tongue on the seam of my lips. I granted him access and I was so happy I wanted to cry. He tasted like… a sweet tea. When we pulled away for air, I was a little sad, but dying wasn't exactly the best thing to do right now. I heard clapping and turned my head to see Tomoyo and Kei applauding our *AHEM* performance.

"How cute! You guys look like a couple from a shoujo manga!" Kei squealed, then he started talking in a narrators voice, "They kiss softly at first, but he can't wait. He hungrily leans in; both faces turning redder by the second. Lust fills his eyes as he push-" Tomoyo clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Shut up, idiot. The atmosphere's turning awkward." She hissed. _'Turning awkward? Nagihiko and I just made out in front of you guys! How is that not awkward?' _I mentally scolded her.

"I never said it wasn't awkward. Really, when I dared you guys to kiss, I didn't think it would turn into a make out session."

"GAH! CAN YOU READ MINDS?!" I shouted.

"No, you said it out loud. Again. You really need to be careful, you might let the wrong thing slip one day." She said, gesturing towards Nagihiko and winking.

"Hmph, whatever." I crossed my arms and looked away.

"Uwah! Cool and spicy!" Tomoyo mocked.

"Oh, gawd. Please don't call me that." I groaned.

**(Nagihiko's POV)**

I was still in a trance thinking about the kissed I just shared with Amu. It was electrifying. She tasted like strawberry shortcake and honey. It sounds weird, but it's the best taste in the world and I couldn't wait to taste it again. _'again… It might never happen again. What if she doesn't feel the same way about me? I've loved her for as long as I remember. I even told Mother that I would make her my bride someday. To her… I'm just a best friend.' _I was snapped out of my thoughts by Amu's voice.

"GAH! CAN YOU READ MINDS?!" She shouted.

"No, you said it out loud. Again. You really need to be careful, you might let the wrong thing slip one day." Tomoyo said. _'What did Amu say out loud? And did Tomoyo just twitch her head toward me and _wink _at Amu?"_

"Hmph, whatever." She crossed her arms and looked the other way.

"Uwah! Cool and spicy!" Tomoyo shrieked.

"Oh, gawd. please don't call me that." She groaned.

"People still call you that?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's a little weird that I can't get rid of a nickname I earned in fourth grade. That's why I hate people so much. When I started college, everybody wanted to be my friend for my looks and cool attitude. The worst part was the guys. They all wanted to hang out with me just to get in my pants. A few even groped me in class! I tried to keep a cool composure, but it was driving me insane! I was so scared that what happened with Ikuto-nii-san would happen again." There was so much hurt in Amu's eyes and her voice was cracking. She hunched over and began sobbing. The sound was breaking my heart and I couldn't take it anymore. I scooted closer to Amu and slipped an arm around her shoulders. My free hand lifted her head up and wiped her tears off. I shot a quick glance at Tomoyo, signaling for her to take Kei out of here. She nodded in understanding, grabbed Kei's hand, and left.

"I thought you stopped calling him 'nii-san'" I muttered. She called him 'Ikuto-nii-san' when we were little because he was her favorite cousin, but that stopped when she was 'too old.'

"I did, but he was the only person who could get me off the couch and make me stop crying when you left. He did everything I asked and we became close again, so it just kind of… happened." She explained through the tears.

"Can you tell me what happened with Ikuto?" I asked. She nodded softly and told me a story that would haunt me for years. _'It was all my fault.' _

_

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_Okay! That chapter's finished! Sorry again for the late update.  
I need some help from you guys. Please give me ideas of what kind of weird stuff Amu and Nagihiko should do to each other for the competition.

I'm feeling extra nice today so here are some random lines from the next chapter. Try to guess who said them. If you get one right, I'll tell you the context of the line. ;3

_"Why are you doing this to me!? I trusted you!"  
_

"Did you have to get her drunk? I thought I warned you"

"Amu, I hate you! Get out of my life forever!"

_'note to self: go back in time and thank whoever invented silk pajamas'_


	6. REAL Chapter 6

UGGH! Sorry for the late update! I had a lot of stuff to do. Oh, and you may have noticed that I changed this to M. There's reasons that you'll see in this chapter and the next few.  
OH YEAH! This is the longest chapter I've written so far! 11 pages! 6,000 words!  
If any of you are wondering, my girlfriend was found dead. I'm not going into any more detail. R.I.P. baby.  
And I know you won't like the beginning of the chapter, but the rest is great and suggestive!

* * *

_Chapter 6_

"_There's only two types of people in the world. The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe."-Britney Spears (Circus) [lol, it fits]_

[Flashback]

"_Ikuto Nii-san! Why are you here? It's nearly midnight!" A fifteen-year-old Amu questioned her twenty-year-old cousin. _

"_What? Can't I be the first person to say 'Merry Christmas' to my favorite cousin this year?" He asked feigning innocence._

"_Fine, but I have some things to do, so make it quick." _

"_Aw, is Amu waiting up for Santa Claus?" Ikuto teased._

"_N-no, idiot. I'm putting my present to Ami under the tree! It was too big to wrap." The pinkette explained fervently. Ikuto was the only one who she showed her true personality to since Nagihiko left, so she didn't even bother with being 'cool and spicy' in front of him._

"_Speaking of presents, I wanted to show something." Ikuto walked onto Amu's snow-dusted balcony and crouched down, beckoning for her to get on. She warily climbed onto his back, worried about her parents finding her gone._

"_Where are we going?" She asked while Ikuto climbed down the rope ladder attached to her tree house. He suddenly jumped down and started running._

"_It's a surprise." He stopped abruptly and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket. Letting Amu off his back, Ikuto turned around and covered her eyes with the cloth. _

"_Does he always have to be so secretive?" Amu grumbled. Hearing Ikuto chuckle, she slapped his head as she climbed back on._

"_To answer your question, no. But it's always fun." He chuckled again, receiving another slap from Amu. They made small talk until Ikuto stopped again and let Amu slide off his back._

"_Ouch, what was that?!" Amu exclaimed, rubbing her rear._

"_Sorry. I didn't think it was this beautiful." He whispered more to himself than Amu._

"_What's beautiful? Ikuto-nii?" She felt the blindfold being pulled off and gasped at what she saw. They were in a clearing surrounded by trees which had twinkling lights strung across the branches. In the very center was a fountain with a gazebo-like covering with benches attached. The whole clearing seemed to be sparkling._

"_Like it?" Amu was jolted out of her thoughts. She had completely forgotten he was there._

"_I love it." She whispered breathlessly._

"_I thought you would. Now come with me." He grabbed her hand and walked toward the fountain. Ikuto reached under one of the benches as Amu sat down, and pulled out his violin. The song he played was a sweet one, but there was a tinge of sadness behind it. When Ikuto finished, he bowed playfully as Amu applauded his performance._

"_I have something to talk to you about, Amu." Ikuto said, suddenly serious. Amu scooted over on the bench and let him sit down. They sat in companionable silence until Ikuto finally decided talk. "Amu, we're cousins right? But we're only related by marriage, and we met before my mom married your uncle." He paused, waiting for her response._

"_Yeah, but where are you going with this?" She asked, almost scared of his answer._

"_Amu, I know you're not stupid. By now, you should have realized that I have feelings for you. I love you, Hinamori Amu!" Amu's heart broke, those were the last words she wanted him to say. _

"_Ikuto-nii," She said in a pained voice "I'm really sorry, but you know who I love. I could never love you like that." Amu was holding back tears, but they sprung loose at the sheer shock from the look in Ikuto's eyes. They were filled with anger, hate, and some sort of carnal desire. Amu backed away from him as fast as she could, but apparently that wasn't fast enough. Her wrist was now in Ikuto's steely grip. _

"_Why are you doing this?! I trusted you!" Amu screamed._

"_Amu, I'm not letting you go. I always win." He pulled the handkerchief out of his pocket, pushed Amu against the wall, then tied said handkerchief around her mouth. Ikuto had both of her wrists in his right hand behind her back. _

"_Damn it Amu! Why don't you give up on him? I can give you so much more. I'll show you what a _real _man is like." He started nipping at Amu's neck softly, but got rougher as she struggled. Finally, he was fed up with her squirming, so he pushed her down to the ground face-up. When he let go of Amu's wrists, he pulled out a gun and pushed it against her head. The pain evident on Amu's face made Ikuto flinch, but he told himself it was for her own good. _

_[WARNING! Violent rape scene coming up! But I didn't put in too much detail]  
_

"_Amu, you are mine. I get to deflower you, and if you do it with anyone else, you're just being a slut. I know your game Amu. You lead guys on, just to laugh when you reject them, claiming you already love someone. You're a dirty bitch Amu." As Ikuto gave his venomous speech, his hand had traveled up her skirt and pressed a finger inside her. Amu's tears came out heavier now, she wanted to die and get everything over with. Her innocence had been stolen by her own _cousin. _He was already starting to enter her. '_It hurts! God, It hurts! Please, just kill me!' _Amu screamed in her head._

_[End Rape]  
_

"_Hey, what's going on in there?" A gruff voice questioned. A light was pointed at Ikuto and Amu. The security guard pulled out a walkie-talkie and said "3 to base, 3 to base. Call the cops, it's a 13 red." While the security guard was talking, Ikuto had jumped off Amu, tearing her a little. He searched for a way out, but there were 2 more security guards joining the first and sirens could be heard in the distance. He was trapped. As soon as the cops and paramedics got there, Amu was rushed to a hospital. The blood was running down her legs like tears, to replace the ones that couldn't come out of her eyes anymore._

_[end flashback]_

[Amu's POV]

I woke up in bed with a massive headache. I don't even know how I got to bed. When I rolled over to check the alarm clock, I saw Tomoyo sleeping soundly. 'You can hardly tell she's a spaz when she sleeps' I giggled at my thoughts, then noticed the time. I have a little over an hour to get ready for work. I showered, brushed my teeth, got dressed in about half an hour, so I had plenty of spare time. Nagihiko's going to get a pleasant surprise today. I had this plan set for yesterday, but the stupid bastard woke up before me. This time he was so going to get it. I walked into his room and climbed onto his bed as quietly as possible, straddling his waist. I leaned forward and poked at his face a little.

"Nagihiko, wake up" I tried my best to sound seductive. He barely stirred, so I started tracing his jaw line with my finger. "C'mon Nagihiko, get up." His eyes fluttered open a little, then flew wide open when he noticed the position we were in.

"A-Amu-chan! Shouldn't you be at work instead of on top of me? Why are you on me in the first place?" He asked nervously.

"I was just waking you up before going to work." I continued tracing the outline of his face.

"That still doesn't explain why you're on me."

"It's the most effective way to wake you up. But now I need to get going." I sat up straight and stretched, jumping off him and blushing furiously as I felt something poke me. We both avoided eye contact.

"U-um, see ya later. And I guess that's a point for both of us." I took a quick glance at him before walking out. His face was deep red and he was trying hard to hide the tent in his boxers.

[Nagihiko's POV]

That was the most embarrassing moment in my life. I was torn between melting into the sheets and ravaging her. _'Great, now I sound like a rapist.' _A sudden pang of anger and sadness shot through me as I remembered Amu's story from last night. She passed out before I could ask her any questions. _'It's my fault. If I didn't leave so unexpectedly, then she wouldn't have spent all that time with Ikuto and he wouldn't have raped her.' _

"Amu-chan… You suffered so much because of me. I'm sorry, love." I whispered.

"Oh, so Nagi admits he has feelings for my Amu. Interesting." Tomoyo shocked me, standing in the doorway.

"H-hi Tomoyo. Why're you up so early? Did you sleep well?"_ 'CHANGE THE SUBJECT! NOW!' _my mind shouted.

"I woke up when Amu was showering. I followed her when she went into your room. That was quite the show." She didn't drop it. Damn.

"Yeah, I guess," I looked at my watch-free wrist, "Oh, look at the time, I should be going." I tried to make my escape, but next thing I knew, I was pinned to a wall by the gossip queen.

"You still haven't told me your feelings for Amu." Her green eyes were sparkling with determination. I sighed and took a deep breath.

"Fine. I'm in love with her. I've always been in love with her. When we wrote our dreams in first grade, I said mine was to marry Amu-chan."

"That's intense. It's even longer than…" She trailed off.

"Longer than what?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a manga. But seriously? That's 17 years."

"Well, at first I wasn't really in love with her, I just wanted to never leave her side. But we started drifting apart a little when we went into middle school. Different classes, different friends and all that. I missed her, and it felt different to hold her hand as me instead of Nadeshiko. So I guess I didn't realize I was in love with Amu-chan until the end of seventh grade, when I found out I was moving." Tomoyo squealed and hugged me.

"Aw! That's so cute! Childhood friendship turns into unrequited loved! It's just like m-" She cut off and stopped suffocating me.

"Oh, were you going to say 'me and Kei?'" I asked playfully.

"Uh…um… yes…" She whispered.

"Hmm? I couldn't hear that. Can you say it again?" Oh this is going to be good, she's going to scream and Kei's probably on his way to wake me up by now.

"Yes! I'm in love with him! You happy now?" She hissed.

"Who are you in love with?"

"KEI! I LOVE KEI! IDIOT!" She screamed as Kei rounded the corner and froze.

"A-are you serious?" He asked, eyes the size of saucers and jaw hanging open.

"I'm gonna leave you guys to your conversation" I darted across the hallway and around the corner to eaves drop on them.

"Kei… I um… err.. I guess… uh…" I heard footsteps while Tomoyo continued babbling, then silence. When I took a peek, Kei and Tomoyo were glued together at the lips.

"Good job Nagihiko, you deserve a Twinkie." I whispered, then left to get said Twinkie.

[Amu's POV]

Work was boring as usual today, but I need the money. I have to go back to school someday.

"Woah, I was not expecting that." I said upon seeing Kei and Tomoyo making out in the hallway when I got home. Of course, they didn't even look up to see who they just scarred. I should go find Nagihiko, because something obviously happened while I was gone. My search for Nagi was short, he was in the kitchen; the same place I was going.

"Hey, I just saw Kei and Tomoyo playing tonsil hockey. What's up with that?" I asked as I sat on the counter.

"I tricked Tomoyo into confessing to him. I almost regret it. I left for work early when they went to his room. By the way, Kei had his tonsils removed. Speaking of work, you're really late. What happened?"

"The girl who takes the shift after me had some kind of family emergency, so I ended up there for two hours until the manager's daughter came in and took over for me." I explained.

"That sucks. Did you at least get paid double?"

"Yeah." I heard a loud moan from the other room. "Okay, I think I'm gonna go outside and practice guitar." I said quickly.

"I'll join you. Meet me under the tree." He rushed outside while I went to get my guitar from the room. Unfortunately, the room was already occupied, so I couldn't exactly get to it. Instead, I ran out to join Nagihiko.

"I'm sleeping on the couch tonight." I muttered.

"Why? And where's Himitsu?" He asked.

"Tomoyo's on our bed. With him. It's gross."

"So I assume that you went to get Himitsu, but you saw your bed being violated and you don't want to sleep on it until you disinfect everything."

"Yep. So I'm sleeping on the couch." He sat down and I put my head in his lap again.

"No. You're sleeping with me tonight." I sat up and hit my head on his chin.

"Sorry. But what do you mean?"

"I mean you're sleeping in my bed tonight. You can't sleep on the couch. It's too small to sleep on."

"No it's not.""Yes it is, Amu-chan. It's only a little bigger than a loveseat."

"Fine, I'll sleep with you. I need to find better pajamas though."

"What's wrong with the pajamas you have?"

"Oh, nothing. They're just a little… revealing."

"How revealing?""It's been mistaken for lingerie." His jaw dropped.

"Okay, maybe you should find something different. Then again, maybe you shouldn't." I flicked his forehead.

"When did you get so perverted?" I asked, reveling in the fact that he wanted to see me in my almost-lingerie.

"I was still a boy who had just hit puberty when I left. Now I'm all man. I'm a lot bigger than before, as you can see." I blushed at the obvious innuendo and the memory from this morning.

"W-whatever, I'm tired." I leaned my head on his chest and closed my eyes.

"How are you tired? You fell asleep at 10 and woke up at 9."

"I don't know. I'm just shaky and tired, okay?" It's really withdrawals, but I don't want him to worry.

"Okay. Sorry. But try not to fall asleep, I can't exactly carry you to bed like last night."

"Oh, I was meaning to ask you what happened last night."

"Well, you told me up to the part when you got in the ambulance and they took the handkerchief off. Then you cried yourself to sleep."

"Sorry. It was a little overwhelming. I've only told that story to the lawyer dad hired."

"It's alright. What happened after that?" He stroked my hair as I took a deep breath and started explaining.

"It all happened so fast, it was kind of a blur. But I remember a lot of people asking me who he was and what happened. I passed out a few times and cried a lot. I told the police and investigators that he was my boyfriend and I just wasn't ready. I-"

"Why did you do that?" Nagihiko cut me off.

"I was going to say it before you so _rudely _interrupted. Anyway, I didn't want him to get in that much trouble. It was kind of my fault in the first place. I led him on and hurt him. Well, that's what I thought at the time. When he went to jail, I was left all alone again and sunk back down into my depression. That's when I asked Tadase out, so I wouldn't feel lonely, but he rejected me. I honestly didn't mind, but I was still lonely and everybody at school was talking about what happened with Ikuto-nii. I couldn't take it anymore, so I climbed up onto my roof with a knife. I was going to jump off with the knife facing my stomach so if the fall didn't kill me, the knife will. Fortunately, Utau and Kukai were coming over to visit and saw me on the roof. They coaxed me off and I was forced to stay with Utau for a month. A few weeks later, I discovered weed and.. Well, you know the rest from there. So you officially know almost everything about me." I finished. This time, I didn't cry, but winced when I told him about doing weed. It's getting harder, but I know it'll be worth it.

"Damn. What happened to Ikuto after that?" I winced again. Nagihiko started rubbing my back to comfort me… I think.

"Well, he was arrested and put in jail for 6 years. Last I heard, he was just getting of probation. Apparently he's a registered sex offender. That was almost a year ago."

"That bastard deserves to be shot. If I ever see him again, I'll go Sweeney Todd on his ass!" I started giggling, then laughed until I cried. That had to be the funniest thing I've ever heard him say, but it was oddly sweet.

"Honey, you don't have to 'go Sweeney Todd on his ass' I think jail and being a registered sex offender should suffice. Though punching him a few times sounds good."

"Did you just…? Never mind, but I do agree. Punching him sounds fantastic." I giggled and looked at Nagihiko. There was a pensive look on his face.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked, puzzled at the sudden mood change.

"Nothing really." He was lying, but I let it drop.

"Amu! Rent time!" Tomoyo shouted from the back door. I perked up and bounded back into the house, dragging Nagihiko with me.

"Sweet! I love Rent night!" I exclaimed. "You know Tomoyo and weren't exactly close before moving here, but every Monday night we watch RENT and play a drinking game. Oh, and we dance and sing along to one of the songs. We even dress up as whichever person we're…err… role-playing as." I explained to Nagihiko.

"Oh, that's… not normal. Sometimes I question your sanity. Tomoyo's more than your's though."

"Everyone questions her sanity. Y'know, I've walked in on her eating Apple Jacks at one in the morning a few times." I giggled at the memory, then released his hand. "Alright, I've gotta go get ready. Your welcome to watch the movie with us this time. See ya." I and walked to my bedroom, seeing Tomoyo there with our drawing hat out.

"Your turn to draw this week." Tomoyo held the hat out to me and shook it a couple times. I put my hand in and pulled a paper out from the bottom.

"Sweet! Take me or leave me. I call Maureen!" I love being Maureen. I can imitate her voice perfectly and our body types were the same.

"Alright. I always let you have Maureen anyway. We haven't done this one in a while. Do you know where our clothes are for this scene?"

"Yep, I'll go get them for us." I walked I grabbed a few things from the back of our closet and set them down on a chair, then went back and pulled a styling head with a dark wavy wig. Tomoyo and I both started changing in silence. "Oh, I forgot to tell you that I'm sleeping with Nagihiko tonight." I said while we were putting on makeup. Tomoyo dropped her lipstick and started at me in awe.

"Oh my God, did you guys finally hook up?" She asked excitedly.

"No, I just don't want to sleep on our bed after seeing what you and Kei-kun did." She blushed, then smirked. Bipolar much?

"Ohoho, I so want to see the look on his face when he sees your pajamas. And after what happened this morning, I'm sure something good will come of it." My eyes widened.

"You saw that?"

"Yep, and I saw the look he gave you. _Lust, _Amu."

"U-um, let's just finish changing."

[Normal POV]

Tomoyo and Amu walked into the living room to find Kei and Nagihiko sitting on the couch waiting patiently. Amu was wearing a black tank top with a gold dragon on the front and tight black leather pants. Over that she wore a long maroon jacket that reached down to her knees. On her feet were black high-heeled boots. There was a dark wavy wig on her head and earrings with planets and stars dangled from her ears.

Tomoyo wore a white blazer over a gray and black patterned vest pared with white slacks. Her shoes were plain brown pumps and the earrings were gold hoops with.

Amu popped the DVD in and sat down next to Nagihiko, who was staring at her.

"If any of you talk, I swear I'll tears your ears off." Amu threatened as the movie began. The girls sang along with all of the songs and recited their favorite lines. At the scene just before take me or leave me, Amu pulled her lip ring out and walked to the front with Tomoyo.

**(**_**Italics**_** is Amu, underlined**** is Tomoyo. **_**Both**_** is both. Bold **is spoken. Link on my profile. Please just watch the video. My descriptions suck balls.)

"_**You know what miss ivy league, I can't take much more of this. This obsessive, compulsive, control freak paranoia."**_

"**What?"**

"_**I didn't pierce my**__**nipples because it grossed you out. I didn't stay at the King's club last night because you wanted to go home."**_

"**You were flirting with the woman in rubber."**

"_**There will always be women in rubber flirting with me! Give me a break!"**_

_Every single day, I walk down the street, I hear people say "Baby's so sweet" _

_Ever since puberty, everybody stares at me, boys, girls I can't help it baby. _Tomoyo walks off and Amu follows.

_So be kind and don't lose your mind. Just remember that I'm your baby. _Amu pulls Tomoyo close and slow dances with her.

_Take me for what I am. Who I was meant to be. _Amu hugs Tomoyo close and twirls her around.

_And if you give a damn, take me baby or leave me. _Amu grabs Tomoyo's hands and pressed them to her breasts, then Tomoyo walks away again. Amu follows and climbs onto the coffee table.

_Take me baby or leave me._

_A Tiger in a cage can never see the sun. _Amu takes off her jacket.

_This diva needs her stage so baby lets have fun! _Amu drops said jacket and crouches down facing Tomoyo..

_You're the one I choose, folks would kill to fill your shoes. You love the limelight too, now baby. _Amu climbs off the coffee table.

_So be mine, and don't waste my time, crying "Oh Honeybear, are you still my, my, my baby?" _As Amu sings, she pulls up her shirt like she's going to flash someone and runs around the table avoiding Tomoyo.

**Don't you dare.** Tomoyo and Amu walk to the other side of the room.

_Take me for what I am. Who I was meant to be. And if you give a damn, take me baby or leave me. _

_No way, can I be what I'm not. _Amu seductively crouches down, and comes back up, raising her arms.

_But hey, don't you want your girl hot? _Amu walks closer to Tomoyo.

_Don't fight, don't lose your head. Cause every night, who's in your bed? Who? Who's in your bed. _Amu crawls close to Tomoyo and sticks her hands out like a begging dog.

_**Kiss Pookie**_

It won't work, I look before I leap. Tomoyo pulls Amu up and Amu backs up to the wall.

I love margins and discipline. I make lists in my sleep. Baby, what's my sin?

never quit, I follow through. I hate mess but I love you 

what do with my impromptu baby?

so be wise 'cause this girl satisfies. Tomoyo presses herself close to Amu, who puts her hands up in disgust.

you got a prize but don't compromise. you're one lucky baby. Tomoyo takes her jacket off and flings it. Amu catches it.

take me for what I am

_**a control freak**_

who I was meant to be

_**a snob yet over attentive**_

and if you give a damn

_**a loveable droll geek**_

take me baby or leave me

_**an anal retentive. **_They walk back over toward the coffee table.

_That's it_

the straw that breaks my back

_I quit_

unless you take it back

_Women_

_what is it about them? _

_can't live with them or without them_

_take me for what I am ._They grab onto different ends of the table.

who I was meant to be

_who I was meant to be. _They walk over to the other ends of the table.

_and if you give a damn. _Amu climbs on the table and starts crawling toward Tomoyo.

and if you give a damn then. 

take me baby, or leave me. Amu pushes the remotes onto the ground then stands in front of Tomoyo.

_take me baby, take me or la-la-la-la-la-leave me_

_take me baby or leave me._ Tomoyo grabs Amu and they bend backward until Amu's back almost touches the table, then come back up.

_**guess i'm leaving i'm gone! **_They walked off in separate directions then flopped down on the couch.

(OMG! That took me 4 hours to write!)

[Nagihiko's POV]

I whistled and clapped along with Kei when Amu and Tomoyo finished. Of course we were immediately shushed, but I had to do it. Amu looks downright _sexy _in leather. _'I wonder if she could-' _NO! That thought stops there!

After the movie, Amu and Tomoyo changed into normal clothes and headed straight for the kitchen. Amu came out holding a bottle of vodka and four shot glasses. Next to her, Tomoyo carried a bag of tortilla chips and a bowl of salsa.

"What are we doing?" Kei asked warily.

"We're playing 'I have never'" Tomoyo responded simply.

"Oh, remember when we played that in middle school on the class trip? Jo-kun cried when he was the only one who got something stuck in his nose!"

"That was hilarious! He was always a crybaby!" I felt a little pang of sadness and jealousy. Tomoyo and Kei had so many great memories from middle and high school. Amu and I only have kindergarten to eighth grade. I sighed audibly.

"What's up Nagi?" Tomoyo asked.

"Just thinking. So how do we play this?" I brushed off the subject.

"Oh, we go around in a circle saying things that we haven't done. If anybody has done that thing, they take a shot." She explained.

"I want to go first!" Amu volunteered excitedly. I rolled my eyes at her childish behavior. She can be so bipolar sometimes.

"Okay! Amu goes first!" Tomoyo shouted as she sat down.

"I have never been out of this country." Amu said. Tomoyo poured two shots, handing one to me and gulping down the other.

"Mine shouldn't even count I was only born in America. I left when I was two!" Tomoyo whined.

"That's news to me." I commented

"You never asked." Tomoyo shot back.

"My turn," I said after taking my shot. "I have never had escargot." Amu took a shot and we all stared at her.

"What? Utau made me do some weird shit when I lived with her." She shrugged.

"I'm not sure if I want to meet her now…" Kei said warily.

"Aw, come on Kei-kun. Utau's the best cousin ever. Hmm, I just realized that Kukai's my cousin too now…" Amu trailed off.

"He is, isn't he? Heh, never thought he would become part of your family when you met him in fourth grade, did you? Their wedding was great. How come you didn't go Amu-chan?" I asked.

"Ehhh? You were there? So was I! How did you not see me? I was maid of honor!"

"And I was best man!"

"Seriously?! Then… we walked down the aisle right next to each other and didn't notice?"

"Okay, I'm lost. What's going on here?" Kei interjected.

"Utau's my cousin and Kukai's our childhood friend. They got married 2 years ago. Do you have any of the wedding pictures, Nagi?" Amu asked after filling Kei in.

"Yeah, I do. Hold on a sec." I ran off and came back with a photo album in hand.

"Let me see." Amu grabbed the small red folder and started flipping through it, stopping somewhere in the middle. "Oh, I remember why. Utau invited Ikuto so I wore a wig and color contacts. But I still don't see you." I peeked over her shoulder and saw the large group photo. The maid of honor had long purple hair and chocolate-brown eyes. She was wearing a puffier version of the putrid green dresses Utau had picked for her bridesmaids.

"Hmm, trying to look like someone Amu-chan?" I asked amusedly and laughed when she blushed.

"S-shut up. It just happened. I still don't see you." She furrowed her brows as if she was concentrating hard.

"I'm right here." I pointed at the man standing next to Kukai. I had shortish black hair with long bangs. A large portion of the front was bleached and my nails were painted black. She stared in awe.

"W-we even danced together and I didn't notice." She whispered then cracked a smile and laughed a little.

"What's funny Amu-chan?" I asked.

"You honestly don't remember? I told you that you reminded me of someone I… N-n-never mind! Remember on your own if you want." She was blushing profusely.

"Okay, I'll do that. But that means it's only been two years since we've seen each other."

"Ahem, can we get back to the game before you guys start making out again? Those lovey- dovey faces are gross." Tomoyo wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Look who's talking. Pretty much having sex in the hallway. How revolting." I grumbled.

"Whatever. It's my turn now." She turned and smirked at Amu, who stiffened immediately. "I have never been completely naked in front of a stranger." Amu took another shot and shot Tomoyo a menacing glance.

"Before you ask, let me explain. Tomoyo's brother is a pervert. He walked in on me showering and took a picture before I even met him. What's up with guys and their obvious fascination in seeing me naked?" She shouted. Kei and I opened our mouths to speak, but never got the chance to say anything. "Both of you shut up!" She shouted again.

"Alright back to the game. I have never kissed someone out of boredom." Amu and Tomoyo took another shot each. We continued the game for a few more rounds, until everyone was sufficiently drunk. Come on, Amu-chan. We need to get to bed." I grabbed Amu's hand and pulled her up with me.

"I need my pajamas!" She sang and Tomoyo giggled.

"You are so weird. Alright, go get them" I sighed. Each of us changed into our pajamas and met up in the hallway to say goodnight. But of course nothing is ever simple with Amu.

"Goodnight, Kei-kun!" Amu giggled and sloppily kissed his cheek, leaving everyone bewildered.

"Goodnight, Amu-chan" Kei replied awkwardly before walking into his room.

"'Night Tomoyo!" Amu shrieked and kissed Tomoyo's chin.

"I forgot about miss kissing monster. Goodnight Amu, 'night Nagi" Tomoyo laughed and winked in my direction before walking away.

"Don't even try it. I'll get you a glass of water and a peanut butter sandwich. I want you to sober up a little before going to bed with me." So I did just that. When Amu finished eating, she held her head in her small hands.

"Thanks Nagihiko. I probably would have done something weird." To my surprise, she leaned over and kissed my cheek. "I'm really tired, lets go to bed." And with those words, my brain finally processed what she was wearing and saying. She wasn't lying about it looking like lingerie. The top was low-cut and cheetah print with brown lace around the borders and a brown sash hanging between her breasts down to her abdomen. The only part that wasn't lingerie-esque was her matching Capri pants. The whole ensemble seemed to be made of silk. _'Note to self: go back in time and thank whoever invented silk pajamas' _I thought before following Amu into my room and climbing into bed.

"Goodnight, Nagihiko." She said quietly after sliding in next to me. After a few minutes, I could still feel Amu shivering behind me. I turned around to face her.

"Are you comfortable?" I asked

"Mmm, just a little cold." She said tiredly. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close.

"Better?" I asked.

"A lot." She pressed closer and buried her face in my chest. A few minutes later, her breathing evened out and I knew she was asleep.

"Goodnight, love." I whispered then kissed her forehead.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get to sleep so easy, so I thought about the days events, which led me to what Amu had said earlier. _"I told you that you reminded me of someone I…" _What did she tell me? I faintly remember dancing with her and thinking that she looked like a cross between me and Amu. Suddenly, I remembered clearly. I smiled at the words that echoed through my mind, the words she said that sunny afternoon two years ago.

"_Sorry I keep staring at you. It's just… you remind me of someone I love a lot. But he's been gone for six years now. I'm sorry but, I have to go. I'll cry if I think to much." _

* * *

You might have noticed that I didn't put in some of the lines that I promised, but that's because I comepletely rearranged the chapter to make it less messy.

Heh, Y'all should go read _Confessions of Gender and Love_ now. It's hella funny and I'm working on the next chapter. (Heh, Ikuto get's hit in the head with a frying pan)  
Oh, and keep an eye out for another one-shot I'm writing called _3 Times_. It's morbid and depressing, but the ending is happy. (BTW, both are Nagamu or is it Amuhiko?)

Sneak peek:  
_Sending: Oh yeah, Yaya, don't tell Kairi that I'm in love with Nagihiko. He'll go all 'eye of the tiger' on me like when Tadase said he loved Rima. Message sent to:  
_And that's all I'm giving you! :P first to review gets the rest of the line! If you don't want to know, tell me and I'll give it to the next person.


	7. Chapter 7

Hehe, sorry for the late update guys. My computer screwed up and didn't upload the chapter. I just noticed a little while ago.

And, if you're looking for the line I used in the preview, it's not there. I changed it and now it's a lot better.  
Now, on to the chapter!

* * *

_**Chapter 7**_

_Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life. -Sophia Loren_

The first thing I noticed upon waking up was that I was curled up against something really warm. Second thing I noticed: said thing was Nagihiko. His arms were wrapped tightly around my middle and I was curled into a ball, my eyes still closed to ward off the inevitable headache. I took a deep breath and yawned. "You smell really good" I murmured tiredly.

"Good morning to you too." Nagihiko commented back playfully. I frowned and wrinkled my brows. "What's wrong? Do you have a hangover?" He asked worriedly. I shook my head.

"I do, but that's not it. You're in a really good mood so early and it pisses me off." I grumbled, opening my eyes for the first time that morning. My face flushed when I took in his appearance. He was shirtless and his hair was bedraggled, but he still looked like an angel with the rays of early morning light washing over him.

"I'm surprised you're not in a good mood."

"Huh? What? Why?" I pulled the blankets off and examined myself. Luckily, my clothes were still on, but there was something new around my neck. A gold heart-shaped locket. A small pearl was set in the center with dragonflies and vines etched around it. I lifted my hand up to touch the cool surface. "What is…" I trailed off.

"Happy birthday, Amu-chan." Nagihiko's smile widened and he pulled me a little closer.

"I totally forgot." I muttered, still in a daze.

"Hey, wait for me after work."

"Why?"

"We're going to the park. Like we did every year on your birthday."

"Are you still going to push me on the swing?" I teased.

"Of course! But for now, we should get ready for work." He winked and let go of me.

As I finished getting dressed, my phone started ringing. Of course, Utau would be the first to call.

"Hey Utau" I answered.

"_Morning, Amu." _Utau said. I heard a click, indicating that it was now on speaker. _"Happy birthday Amu!" _Two cheerful voices chorused.

"Thanks Utau, Kukai!" I giggled. "But shouldn't you say good evening or something?"

"_Nope. It's morning in Hokkaido. The sunrise was quite lovely today." _She commented nonchalantly.

"What? What do you mean? Didn't you say you were coming in a month?"

"_Yeah, but I figured it's better to move back before I'm too far along in the pregnancy." _I shrieked in excitement.

"No way!" I shouted. "You're moving back?! You're pregnant?!" By now, my screaming had woken Tomoyo and Kei up, who were both in our bed, and Nagihiko was standing in the doorway wide-eyed. I clicked the phone onto speaker so they could hear as well.

"_Yeah! We want our children to grow up here in Japan." _Kukai said enthusiastically.

"Boy or girl? And when is it due?"

"Girl and she's due March 29th!" She squealed.

"I'm sorry." Nagihiko and I said

"Eh? Why?" She asked, clearly confused.

"Because it's Tadase's birthday." Kukai answered for us.

"How-but-why-eh-gah-nooooooo!" she wailed.

"Oh, shoot. Amu, come over tonight around 7. I'll text you the address. I've got to go calm her down." The line went dead a moment later.

"Well that was weird." Kei commented from MY side of the bed. I groaned and crossed my arms in front of my chest, rolling my eyes.

"She's like that. You two are disgusting!" Tomoyo blushed.

"I swear we only slept last night. Right Kei?" She elbowed him twice and winked.

"Yep! We only slept! But you might want to stay away from your riding crop." He grinned sheepishly.

"That's it! You vile creatures should be ashamed of yourselves! Did you not read the inscription on the handle? It says 'rest in peace Prancer'. Don't you think it would be a _little_ important to me?" I shouted. "Whatever. Tomoyo, wash the bedding. Ebata, disinfect Prancer's riding crop. I'm out." I threw my arms and stormed out. I could faintly hear "I've been demoted to Ebata."

Work was, in a word, boring. Except when I had to explain to a man that his eggs wouldn't hatch and pickles weren't alien penises. I laughed at the memory and took another drag of my cigarette.

"Amu-chan, I thought you said you were quitting everything?" I jumped and spun around to face Nagihiko.

"Shit! I can explain!" I waved my hands frantically and put out the cancer stick.

"It's okay." He put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I understand it's hard to quit that many things at once, and you've been doing good on everything else. Though I do wish you would eat more."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. But can you do me a favor and keep this a secret?" I asked.

"Sure. Come on, I'll take you to the park then we can visit Kukai and Utau." His hand dropped from my shoulder and into my hand before we set off to the park. I swung our hands back and forth lightly as we walked the many grassy trails and made small talk. We reached a small playground a half hour later and I rushed to sit on one of the swings. Nagihiko sighed and began pushing me as I giggled like a little girl.

A few pushes in, I remembered what I was going to ask him. "Hey Nagi, why did Kukai invite me over and why are you coming with me?"

"U-uh, probably some sort of housewarming party. And I'm going with you because you're directionally confused and a natural accident magnet." He answered quickly.

"You really know how to flatter a girl. I rolled my eyes. "Hey, what time is it?" I asked.

"A little after 5:39. We should probably head back and get ready. Tomoyo laid out some clothes for you"

"That's uncharacteristically nice of her. It's probably to make up for her horn-dog ways." We both laughed and walked toward home.

At home, I found a dress on my bed. It was a simple black mini dress that went about mid-thigh with a lavender wrap to go around my shoulders. I used a purple flower clip to hold the wrap. Nagihiko wore a plain black tuxedo that looked stunning on him.

"Ready to go?" He asked and offered a hand. I simply nodded and entwined my fingers with his. We received a lot of stares on the subway. One little girl even asked if we were celebrities. I laughed and told her that we're here promoting a movie called The Subway People. "That was mean" Nagihiko told me when we got off.

"So? It was fun." I responded. "So, how far away are we from their house?"

"Are you blind?!" He cried. Then I noticed we were standing right in front of a giant mansion reminiscent of a certain Barbie dream house Utau had when she was little.

"Oh. I see what you mean. Sorry, I guess I was distracted." Really, I was. Who wouldn't be if they were holding hands with Nagihiko? And he's in a TUXEDO!!! Okay, I guess a lot of people wouldn't be, but I am.

"Hellooo. Earth to Amu-chan." Nagihiko said, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Sorry," I giggled, "I was just thinking that it looks exactly like a Barbie dream house Utau and I used to play with."

"Typical Utau." He rolled his eyes. I pressed a button next to the gates. A loud beep resounded through the air and the gates opened slowly to reveal an ecstatic Utau.

"Amu!" She shouted before lunging toward me.

"Hi Utau. Why are we here?" I asked.

"You'll see!" She dragged me to the door with Nagihiko trailing behind.

"Wow. A door. Exciting." I said sarcastically after standing in the same spot for a few minutes.

"You're supposed to open it silly." Utau said.

"You could've told me that. Yeash." I threw the door open and almost closed it when I was bombarded with cheers of "surprise" and "happy birthday." My eyes teared up a little as I looked around and saw all of my friends standing around the room.

"You guys. Thank you so much." I blubbered and hugged Utau around the middle.

"Amu! Amu! Open the presents first. Then we can party!" Utau pulled me to a table piled with gifts.

As I opened each gift, the person who gave it to me came up. Ran, Miki, Suu, and Dia bought me a new microphone and stand together. Tadase and Rima gave me a small video camera. Tomoyo gave me a pair of Warm flannel pajamas which I thanked her profusely for. Kei got me fake dog doo. Yaya's present was chocolate, as usual. Kairi handed me a gift card for Hot Topic. Kukai gave me a soccer ball signed by all of his teammates. Nagihiko gave me a single rose and said he has one more thing for me at home. Of course, everybody awed. The crowd started to dissipate.

"Hold it!" Utau shouted. "I have one more present here! Ran, Miki, Suu, Dia, I need you up here too. " She pulled out a stack of papers and 5 pens.

"What is this" I asked.

"It's a record deal from Easter. I gave daddy the demo CD you sent me and he loved you guys." She explained excitedly.

"It's true. You girls are amazing." A voice behind us said. I gasped and turned around.

"Uncle Aruto!" I exclaimed.

"Hey kiddo. It's been a while. Don't I get a hug?" I nodded and ran into his outstretched arms.

"Thank you so much uncle Aruto!"

"What are you standing around thanking me for? Hurry up and sign!" I turned around and noticed that the other four were already done. I grabbed a pen from Utau and signed in 5 or 6 places. Uncle Aruto took the pen from me and signed the very last page.

"We'll discuss the specifics later, but go party for now, kiddo. Happy birthday." He hugged me one more time and left.

I wandered around absently talking to people, martini in hand. An hour into the party, a few butlers wheeled in a pink six-tiered cake.

"I am so not blowing out all those candles" I said when I noticed there were at least 10 candles on each tier.

After that, I went back to socializing.

"Amu-chi!" Yaya yelled when she saw me.

"Yaya! Kairi!"

"Hinamori-san. Happy birthday." Kairi shook my hand and Yaya gave me a quick hug.

"It's been a while. How are you doing? Did you finish the nursery yet?" I asked.

"We're doing well. And the nursery is finished."

"It's dinosaur theme! I hope little Ryuzaki likes it." Yaya added.

"Oh dear God. You're really naming him after L. The poor boy's gonna grow up to be an otaku samurai."

"Amu-chi's being mean." She pouted.

"I'm not being mean, just concerned for the future of your son."

"Don't worry, I'll try to make him as normal as possible. Also, we both agreed that you should be his godmother, if you want to." My eyes softened when Kairi finished talking.

"Of course I want to! That would be... Incredible!" I hugged him. "That reminds me, I got a mobile."

"Really? Gimme, gimme, gimme!" Yaya grabbed the phone out of my hand and gave it back after typing her number into my phone then sending herself a text. "There. Now we can talk whenever we want."

"Thanks. Now I have some things to tell you." I pulled her to the corner and told her everything that happened, receiving a slap every few minutes for my stupidity. I saved the main reason for all of this, Nagihiko, for last.

"Oh my God! You're really in love with-" I covered her mouth with my hand before she could tell the whole world how I feel.

"Shut up!" I hissed and took my hand away from her mouth.

"Sorry Amu-chi. It's just so unexpected! You're seriously in love with him?"

"Yes Yaya."

"Seriously?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes Yaya. He's coming this way, so shut up! We'll talk about this later."

"Talk about what later?" Nagihiko asked.

"Nothing!" I replied before Yaya could say anything.

"Okay? It's nice to see you again Yaya-chan."

"You too Nagi!" She jumped on him.

"A-ah! You're heavy Yaya-chan!" He grumbled.

"Sorry Nagi. Forgot I was pregnant." Yaya said before climbing off.

"So when's the baby due?" He asked.

"I'm having a c-section one month from today."

"That's great!"

"I know! His name is Ryuzaki Sanjou." Yaya told him while rubbing her belly.

"Are you going to marry Sanjou-san after the baby's born?" He asked.

"Actually, we eloped a couple months ago." She grinned widely at our stunned faces.

"Seriously? Why didn't you tell me?!" I cried.

"I haven't seen you since it happened."

"It's been that long? Wow, I need to see you more often."

"Yeah, you do."

We continued talking for a while, until Yaya had to go to the bathroom. I wandered around chatting and dancing with people for a few more hours. By the time the party was over, it was almost midnight and I was exhausted and drunk again.

"Amu-chan, I'm going home with Kei, so you can go with Tomoyo-chan, since Kei's car only has two seats." Nagihiko told me.

"Okay. Did they drink?"

"No. Tomoyo-chan said she hates drinking away from home and Kei never drinks two days in a row."

"Good judgment. Wow, I feel immature."

"It's your birthday. You deserve to party a little." He reassured me.

"Thanks. I'll see you at home. I hugged him then went off to find Tomoyo.

"Hey, Nagi said I was riding with you." I said when I found her.

"Yeah. I was just looking for you. Come on. She led me to her car and we got in.

"You're better at hiding stuff than I thought you were." I commented.

"Not really. The reason Kei-chan and I were making out in the hallway yesterday is because I just found out and I was going to tell you." She giggled.

"He could've thrown you in the closet." I groaned.

"Yeah, but that wouldn't be fun." She winked. We sat in silence until I heard canon, my ring tone. I rolled my eyes as I read the text from Yaya. 'You're seriously in love with Nagihiko?'

I started to write the response, but hit end by accident, so I had to re-write it and scroll through my recently used contacts. I read over it as it was sending. Message sending: yes Yaya, do I need to spell it out for you? I L-O-V-E Nagihiko and I have for 8 years! Geez. Message sent: Nagihiko

"What?! No! Stupid phone! I take it back! Break! Now it's going off! Damn it!"

"What's wrong" Tomoyo asked with concern.

"I was telling Yaya for the millionth time that I am, in fact, in love with Nagihiko and I accidentally sent it to Nagihiko and now he's responding!" I yelled as tears started forming.

"Okay, calm down Amu. You can freak out after you check the message." I opened the phone and read the message out loud. "Wow, that was a bold confession. Apparently we need to talk when you get back home. And don't freak out and burst Tomoyo-chan's ear drums."

"Yay, Nagihiko loves me." Tomoyo cheered.

"Yeah whatever. What does he mean by 'we need to talk'?"

"Didn't he tell you not to freak out?" She asked.

"Yes, he did. But- hey, why is the car stopped?" I questioned.

"We're home. If you weren't so busy spazzing, you would have noticed." She answered. I started hyperventilating.

"Hah! How? But! No! I need more time! Mommy!!!"

"Amu, calm down. It's alright. Even if you're rejected, he'll still be your best friend. He's not evil." She got out, rounded the car, then pulled me out and dragged me inside.

"Oh, ow, stomach ache. I'm gonna get some Pepto-Bismol and go to bed." I said loudly and headed for the kitchen. As I walked by the dining room, I peeked in and saw Nagihiko surrounded by at least 5 dozen red roses and a few pink candles. In the background, I heard music from my favorite classical CD playing. I jumped when I heard Nagihiko speak.

"I can see you, Amu-chan."

"H-how?" I asked nervously.

"I think the pink hair in the doorway was a dead giveaway."

"Oh." I walked into the room. "U-um, about the text, it's actually a guy with the same name. He lives in Germany." I lied.

"Really? Then why haven't you said anything about him?"

"Uuh, I didn't want any of you to catch on."

"Where did you meet him?"

"In Germany"

"But you've never been out of the country."

"Germany came here!"

"The fact that you think I'm stupid enough to believe that is insulting."

"I-I mean..."

"You mean what? And why did you tell me at the wedding that I remind you of someone that you love?" I paled so my face was the color of paper.

"Y-you remember that? W-well, I was talking about him. He looks a lot like you."

"Well, I hope he doesn't hate me after I steal you away from him."

"H-huh? What do y-" I was cut off by his lips crashing down onto mine. The kiss lasted for only a second, until he pulled away. "I love you, Amu-chan." He whispered while are lips were still just centimeters apart.

"I love you too" I said before pressing my lips to his again and wrapping my arms around his neck. Our salty tears still mixed together as we broke the kiss.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear you say that." He pulled me into a tight embrace and we swayed along to the music. "You really are a bad liar. Germany? Seriously? And I'm pretty sure countries don't move."

"Shut up, I was desperate." I swatted him playfully. "So was this the 'other part' you were talking about?" I asked, referring to the comment he made after giving me the rose.

"Yeah. I was going to confess to you tonight. You made that a lot easier. I still hadn't figured out how I would do that."

"You never plan, do you?"

"Nope. Well, I never plan the important things." He winked at me.

"Aw, I feel so special." I kissed his cheek and yawned. He glanced at the clock.

"It's getting really late." He commented. I looked towards the clock as well and gasped.

"You're right. It's already 2. I need to get into work early and quit." I joked.

"Yeah, miss soon-to-be celebrity." Nagihiko laughed. "But seriously, we should go to bed. I turn into a pumpkin after 2" He yawned.

"Okay pumpkin boy." We walked through the hallway and kissed before going to our respective bedrooms. I giggled and danced around my room after I put my new pajamas on. September 24th is officially the best day ever. Wait, wouldn't it be the 25th? Shoot.

"Amu, you look really stupid standing there mid-happy dance. What are you so confused about?" Tomoyo teased groggily.

"Is September 24th the best day of my life or is the 25th?" I wondered aloud.

"I think it's the 24th because it's the middle of the night."

"Thanks. But don't you want to know why I'm so happy?" I asked.

"I already know. Eaves dropped. Now get in bed. I'm exhausted."

"Alright." I climbed in next to Tomoyo and fell asleep.

The next few days flew by. I quit my job, spoke to uncle Aruto about our deal, and went on my first date with Nagihiko. Before I knew it, it was Thursday, September 30th and I was in the office of Easter's president, Tsukiyomi Aruto, with my 4 band mates.

"So, what I have after an hour of arguing is that Amu and Miki-san are available everyday, Dia-san can only come in on the weekends and Fridays, Suu-san works early mornings during the week, but nights are fine, and Ran-san is quitting her job tomorrow to make time."

"Yes!" We chorused.

"Then we'll start recording on Friday and keep going through the weekend. We'll do this every weekend until your debut. You guys can go now. But I'd like to see Amu alone for a minute." The girls left while I stayed behind.

"What did you need, uncle Aruto?"

"I wanted to talk to you about the producer. You... Might not like him. And I figured you needed fair warning so you don't freak out." He began.

"Who is he?" I asked nervously.

"My son, Ikuto. If you need someone here for support the first couple of times, that's perfectly understandable. And you will never be alone in the same room with him. I'm pretty sure you don't need to worry about him though. In prison, he learned that he... Enjoys the company of other men." He explained.

"O-okay, then, I'm bringing Nagihiko along. Do you know if Ikuto hates me?" I asked.

"I'm sure he could never hate you. And he knows that you told them he was your boyfriend. And that you didn't get a restraining order. Did you just say that you're bringing Nagihiko-kun?"

"Yeah. He's back and we're kind of dating now." I smiled.

"That's great! How is he? And when did he confess? I know he was scared to tell you before he left."

"He's doing well, and I accidentally confessed on my birthday, but he was planning on confessing anyway." He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Accident?" He asked.

"Yeah, I sent a text to him instead of my friend. See?" I showed him my phone. He chuckled lightly.

"Amu, Amu, Amu," he sighed. "You've always been clumsy. Remember that Christmas when you put the wrong tags on everyone's gifts? I think I still have the fuzzy pink unicorn. I named him Freddie." We shared a laugh, reminisced a little bit more, then parted. At home, I searched for Nagihiko to ask if he could go. I couldn't find him anywhere until I looked outside and saw him in the gazebo. He looked up from whatever he was doing and waved me over.

"Hey, how'd it go?" He asked when I sat down.

"It went... Well. We decided that we'll start recording and preparing for our debut this Friday through Sunday. We'll be meeting every weekend until we debut. Um..." I squirmed in my seat as I tried to gather the courage to ask him.

"What's wrong Amu-chan?" He asked.

"It's... Uh...well... O-our producer." I squeaked.

"Okay... Is there something bad about him?"

"I-it's Ikuto. And I wanted to know if you could-" I was cut off by soft lips on my own. He deepened the kiss and pulled me into his lap. We parted for air almost a minute later, panting.

"I'll go." He murmured.

"Really?" He nodded in response.

"Anything for you, love." he kissed my forehead. Oh. My. God. I think I just melted. He chuckled a little.

"Eh? What's so funny?" I asked confusedly.

"Your reaction."

"S-shut up. Pervert." I mumbled the last part.

"I'm the pervert? Who's the one that randomly sniffs me and watches me in my sleep?" He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Oh yeah? Who's the one that- never mind."

"Hmm? What were you saying?" He asked.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I don't say things!" I laughed nervously and avoided his gaze. I don't want to remind him about... That.

"Oh, are you talking about the time I did this?" In a flash, I was facing Nagihiko with my legs on either side of his waist and his hands up my shirt. I gasped in surprise a moment later and pressed closer when I felt teeth on my neck. He started trailing butterfly kisses down my neck. His hands traveled farther up my shirt and, just as his hands got to the bottom of my bra, we were interrupted by a catcall, just like last time. I growled and climbed off of my… aroused boyfriend. Kei came out of his hiding place and laughed at our flushed faces and annoyed expressions.

"Do you follow us around waiting for the perfect moment to ruin?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Sometimes." His grin suddenly turned into a frown. "But, I cam out here to tell Amu-chan that you have a call. It's your doctor. I didn't know you went."

I blushed slightly. "Yeah, I went a few days ago. I'll go answer it." I ran back inside and picked up the home phone. "Hello? Dr. Temari?"

"_Yes, is this Hinamori Amu-san?"_

"Yes."

"_I have a few things to talk to you concerning your visit last week. Do you want me to tell you over the phone or in person?" _

"Over the phone would be best."

"_Okay. We looked at your test results and weight and found a few things slightly disconcerting. First of all, you're weight is very low as well as nutrient levels. Also, I know you're getting over your drug addiction, but it's best if you were monitored and in a support group. We would like to put you on a special program. It's like rehab, but you don't have to leave home. The second thing is a little hard to tell you, but… you have type 1 diabetes. It seems you have actually had it for a long time, since you were about nineteen, but you stopped coming in so it could never be confirmed. You will have to come in as soon as possible so we can give you information about type 1 diabetes and put you on insulin. I have an opening on Monday at noon. Would that work for you?"_

"Y-yeah, I'll be there. Goodbye Dr. Temari." I hung up the phone and collapsed onto the floor. "Oh my God." I muttered before covering my face and sobbing. I faintly heard footsteps heading my way.

"Amu, what's wrong?" Nagihiko asked worriedly.

"I-I hav-ve d-diabetes!" I managed to choke out between sobs. There were three gasps. Nagihiko pulled my body close to his.

"Oh my gosh Amu, I'm so sorry." Tomoyo said before dropping down next to me and rubbing my back.

"Do you want me to get you something to make it better?" Kei asked.

I nodded then managed to croak out a muffled "Cotton candy and a chocolate donut."

"Yes ma'am" He saluted then scurried off.

"Nagi, I'm scared of needles. Now I have to poke myself with one every day!" I whined.

"It's alright. I'll hold your hand every time." He spoke softly.

"Thank you." I kissed him on the cheek, then blacked out.

When I regained consciousness, I was pressed up against something warm.

"You faint a lot around me." The warm thing, now identified as Nagihiko, said.

"Shut up." I grumbled. "How long was I passed out for this time?"

"Let's see, it was about four when you passed out, and it's eleven now, so… nineteen hours." He smiled triumphantly at his math skills.

"Shoot, I have to be at Easter by 12:30. You're still coming right?" I began untangling myself from him and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Of course. Hey Amu, what did you eat yesterday?" I stiffened as I remembered that I forgot to eat.

"Ehehe, nothing. I kind of forgot."

"For how long?""Only two days. But I'm starting a rehab-ish program."

"Alright. Now, care to join me in a shower?"

"Not a chance lover boy." I stood up and walked out of the room.

We barely made to the studio on time. The meeting was taking place in conference room 3. It was a fairly large room. There was a long oval table in the center surrounded by eight chairs and a white board on the left wall. Everybody but Uncle Aruto was already there, including Ikuto. I walked in leaning on Nagihiko for support. Apparently the coffee hadn't kicked in yet. Uncle Aruto walked in a minute later.

"Before we start, I want to get the chatting over with, so, we'll go in order telling each other what's new, starting with me, then Ikuto, and all around the table, ending with Amu. And since a lot of us don't know each other, say your name and a few things about yourself. Nothing's really new in my life except for my new turtle, Pony." We all sweatdropped at his name choice.

"Alright, I guess it's my turn." Ikuto said. "I'm Ikuto, I'm gay, I'm Amu's cousin and this old guy's son. As for what's new with me, my boyfriend Jake, and I are moving in together." A big grin broke out on his face as he sat down and Miki stood up."I'm Suu, the manager desu. I cook and bake in my spare time. Hmm, nothings new for me." She sat down and was pinched by Miki, who stood up.

"Yo, I'm Miki. I love art and designing clothes. I also play the drums. What my space-case of a girlfriend failed to mention is that the renovations in our kitchen are done."

"Oh! They are?!" Suu exclaimed.

Miki sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why did I fall in love with the stupid one?"

"Alright, you two shut up. I'm Dia, Suu's fraternal twin. I do back up vocals and Ran. I-" Dia yelped as she was slapped in the arms by both Miki and Ran.

"Stop saying lewd things!" They scolded in unison.

"Sorry. Back to what I was saying. Ran and I are thinking about adopting a child." she squealed then sat down.

"Heya! I'm Ran, Amu-Chan's other cousin! We look alike, don't we? I play bass and I was the fastest runner on track in high school. I also got first place in nationals. Dia already told you what's new with both of us." She plopped down in her chair and Nagihiko rose out of his.

"I'm Nagihiko. I teach traditional Japanese dance among many other types. I dressed as a girl, Nadeshiko, until sixth grade and I still do for classes. The newest thing for me is that I'm going out with Amu, finally." He sat down and I stood up, blushing slightly.

"I'm Amu. I'm the lead singer and songwriter. Apparently I'm an accident magnet. I have three new things to share with everyone. 1st, I found out Nagihiko is _really _perverted." Ikuto opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "Yes Ikuto-nii, about as perverted as you. 2nd, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes yesterday. And lastly, I'm starting a rehab-ish program." By the time I finished everybody's jaw was hanging open. Well, everyone but Nagihiko and I.

Miki was the first to recover. "What are you doing a rehab program for?" She asked.

"Drug addiction and anorexia." I chirped. Now there was a mix of emotions on everyone's faces.

"Amu-chan, why didn't you tell us?" Ran asked quietly.

"Why did you do drugs?" Ikuto asked at the same time.

"I-it's complicated. And I really don't want to explain everything right now. I've never been able to get through the whole thing in one sitting. I always end up passing out. Nagihiko's the only one who's ever managed to get the whole story." I replied weakly. "Oh, I forgot to tell everyone that I got my bellybutton pierced a couple weeks ago!" I exclaimed as a distraction and lifted my shirt up to just barely show the skull charm that matched my lip ring.

I sat down a minute later. Nagihiko grabbed my hand and asked me if I was alright. I shook my head and fought back tears.

"It's okay." He whispered then kissed my cheek. I heard a few muffled giggles and realized we had an audience. My face turned bright red and I slumped down in my seat.

"As sweet as that is, please try to pay attention." Uncle Aruto teased.

"Yes!" I squeaked. It was reassuring that even Ikuto was smiling at our random PDA.

I was half asleep by the end of the meeting, but I made it through. As we said our goodbyes, Ikuto did the last thing I expected him to do: he hugged me tight.

* * *

Okay! here's chapter 7! Great, right? But it seems rushed. Well, that's because I was hella eager to write the confession. WHICH is the way I confessed to one of my girlfriends. It's also rushed because I'm making a bonus chapter with Nagi and Amu's first date and the results of the bet.

To make up for the lateness, you get an extra special preview!

_I don't care even if you have a boyfriend, break it off with him. You're not getting out if this arranged marriage!_

Muahahahaha I'm evil. Can you guess who's being put into an arranged marriage and how she gets out of it? If you beg me enough and guess who it is, I might tell you how she/he gets out of it.

TTFN tata for now!


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